Fiery Jade
by insanemonkeyboy
Summary: When Natsu goes overboard on another assignment, Fairy Tail's too deep in debt to get out. To everyone's surprise, the king has a unique solution to their problem with one condition: Natsu must marry the princess. How will Natsu and his guild deal with this surprising news? Natsu x Hisui
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. They all belong to Hiro Mashima.

So...This is the Natsu x Hisui fic. I decided to start with this based on the responses as well as my own frustration that I can't seem to find any completed Natsu x Hisui fics that aren't one-shots. My favorite pairings are Natsu x Erza and Natsu x Mira, but I like exploring possibilities with Natsu x any Fairy Tail girl (except Lucy).

The next one will probably be the Natsu x Kagura (or Natsu x Kagura x Erza, depending on how it plays out).

Anyway, here's chapter 1**

* * *

"You may come in now."

Makarov Dreyar sighed as he walked into the throne room. In the center of the throne room sat the king. On his right sat Princes Hisui Fiore, and on her right sat Arcadios.

"Your majesty," the wizard bowed deeply.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Fairy Tail master Makarov Dreyar," The king said. He motioned for the guards to leave, and soon they were alone in the throneroom.

"What did your majesty want to discuss with me?" Makarov asked, knowing all too well.

The king smiled. "Straightforward as always, eh Makarov? But that's what I love about Fairy Tail. Well, I guess I'll be straightforward with you, then."

"It's come to my attention that a certain member of your guild caused more damage in a fight than your guild could afford to pay. I've also heard that the council is threatening any banks who lend you the money to keep the guild alive."

Makarov sighed. "What's your point?"

The king grinned. "We are prepared to pay the debt out of the royal treasury, on one condition."

"And what condition is that?"

"The condition is that Natsu Dragneel be engaged to Princess Hisui E. Fiore. Their marriage will take place in 2 weeks' time."

"WHAT?!" Makarov's eyes popped out of his head.

"That is my condition," the king said.

Makarov looked at the princess, surprised by her lack of reaction. "But I can't just make one of my brats get married to someone he barely even knows!"

"I'm offering you a chance to keep your guild together, Makarov." The king said. "If you don't pay up, you know the council will disband you."

Makarov was furious, but he knew the king had a point. "Still…"

"I'll let him officially stay in the guild. Hell, you can move Fairy Tail to Crocus for all I care, but if you want to keep Fairy Tail Natsu Dragneel will marry Princess Hisui in two weeks."

Makarov grimaced. He was cornered. There was no way he would get a better offer. "Yes your majesty…"

"Good, then you need to sign these documents." The king handed him several official looking parchments.

"Natsu will need to sign this one," he added after Makarov had signed the ones he'd been handed. He gave him another document rolled up into a scroll. "I'll send one of my men along. Once it's signed, he'll bring it back right away."

"Yes, your majesty." Makarov sighed, still unable to believe what was happening. And just as unable to believe that the princess hadn't even reacted to the news…

 **~~~A few hours earlier~~~**

"But dad, you can't just give me away to someone I barely know!" Hisui Fiore was red as a beet.

"So you're not happy with my choice of the next king?"

Hisui's face got darker, if that was possible. "I didn't say that… he's handsome enough, but I barely know Natsu!"

"You know enough of him," the king said. "I've seen how you smile every time his name is spoken. How you get angry when you hear the soldiers talking bad about his exploits. I saw how angry you were when the councilman here earlier said he shouldn't be allowed in a wizard guild."

Hisui smiled a little. "I know, dad. But still. It doesn't feel right marrying a guy I've only met a few times."

"Well," the king said with a smirk. "If you don't agree, I'll just marry you off to the next prince that Darton proposes."

"DAD! That's blackmail!"

The king sighed. "Like it or not, Hisui, you're eventually going to have to get married. Your mother is gone, so there won't be any more natural heirs. So you can either marry somebody you don't know at all because the defense minister thinks it'll make a great alliance, or you can marry Natsu, because I think he'll be a great protector and husband to you."

"But what'll Natsu think of that," the princess said blushing.

"It doesn't matter what he thinks," the king said. "He's in no position to refuse."

 **~~~Present time~~~**

"Natsu!" Makarov yelled as he came into the guild. "My office! Now!"

"You're in for it now, Natsu." Erza said as the fire dragon slayer gulped audibly, following the old man into the guild master's office.

"Enjoy your punishment flame-brain!" Gray hooted as Natsu walked past his table.

"Take it like a man!" Elfman added.

"I thought you learned not to be so destructive…" Mira said as he walked by.

"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered. He finally made it to Makarov's office.

Makarov just sighed wearily. "Natsu, I swear you'll be the death of me…" He handed him a sheet of parchment and a quill. "Sign this."

Natsu signed the document without reading it and handed it back to the guild master. "What's the deal gramps?"

"Congratulations Natsu," the guild master replied. "You're officially engaged."

"What? To who?" Natsu glared. "Don't I get a say in the matter?"

"No you don't." Makarov said sternly. "And you're engaged to the princess."

"No way," Natsu tried to snatch the document, but Makarov pulled it back. "Gramps! I barely know the princess! I'm going to marry someone I'm in love with!"

"Sorry Natsu, but like I said, you don't have a choice. The guild is in over our heads because of you. The crown is willing to bail us out, but only if you marry Princess Hisui."

"Not gonna do it," Natsu growled.

"YOU WILL DO IT!" Makarov yelled, his magic energy becoming intense. "YOU CAUSED THIS MESS, NOW TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES."

"Yes master…" Natsu hung his head.

Makarov sighed. "I'm sorry, boy. I don't really like it either, but the princess is a nice girl, and pretty. How bad can it be?"

"Yeah," Natsu said brightening. "And if I marry the princess I'll be king someday, right?"

Makarov groaned, wondering how he hadn't realized this earlier.

As the two emerged from the back room, a pair of palace guards came to the front of the guild. As the members looked on, they took the document, then turned and inclined their heads respectfully to the dragon slayer. Then one of them said a few words to Makarov, who nodded.

"Attention Fairy Tail members. I would like to formally announce the official engagement of Natsu Dragneel and Hisui Fiore. The wedding will be held in 2 weeks at the palace, and all are invited to attend."

Jaws dropped everywhere in the guild, and for a few minutes Fairy Tail experienced something it definitely wasn't used to: silence.

Then everyone started at once. "What the fuck, flame brain? Why didn't you tell anyone you were seeing the princess?" Gray yelled as he charged Natsu, leaving his clothes behind.

One of the Rune knights stood in his way. "You will address your future king with respect," he commanded sternly.

"Future…" Gray blinked.

"Congratulations Natsu. Don't know how you kept it a secret," Erza said with a grin.

"Probably because I didn't know about it till just now," Natsu mumbled.

Erza's jaw dropped a little. Makarov motioned her to keep silent.

"Does your highness have any luggage?" One of the rune knights asked Natsu.

"Luggage?" He asked, confused.

"To bring with you to Crocus, your highness." The other explained.

"Why am I going to Crocus?"

The rune knights sighed. "Because you're engaged to the princess. You must prepare for your wedding, your highness."

"Hey," Gajeel, who'd just woken up, nudged Levy. "Why are they treating the Salamander like royalty?"

"Because he is royalty now," she whispered back. "He's engaged to the princess."

"WHAT?!" Gajeel yelled, jumping up from his chair, and falling over backward in the process.

"Master Makarov just announced it," she said. "How could you not hear him?"

"I was sleeping," mumbled the iron dragon slayer.

Of everyone there, Lucy looked the most shocked of all. Probably because she'd believed she was going to end up marrying the dragon slayer.

"Well," Natsu was saying. "I'd better get back to my house. Don't have much really except my hammock and a few pairs of clothes."

"Your highness won't need a hammock," one of the guards said. "And I think you'll find that your style will be changing once you live in the palace. Is there anything else?"

"Just Happy," Natsu said. "Happy! Come on! We're going to the palace!"

"Aye Sir!" The blue exceed jumped up, flying over to the group and landing in Natsu's arms.

And then they were off.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. It all belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Alright, this seems to be a fairly popular pairing, so I'm starting to devote some more effort to it. Here's chapter 2. Hope you enjoy. R&R as always**

* * *

"LAAAND!" Natsu proclaimed dramatically as he kissed the ground over and over again on his hands and knees. The guards who were escorting him both sweat-dropped.

"Your highness will please refrain from such unseemly behavior," one of the guards said.

Natsu climbed back up to his feet, not because the guard had scolded him but because that's what he was about to do anyway.

"Aye sir!" Happy said cheerfully behind him.

"I'm never getting on one of those damn things again," Natsu said as his stomach rumbled noisily. "In fact, my first act as king will be to order every kind of transportation in the kingdom destroyed!"

Both guards sweat-dropped as they heard that.

"But don't you think that would make a lot of people mad?" Happy asked.

Natsu glared at the train. "Transportation makes me mad."

"Aye sir!"

The guards sighed, hoping the future king would forget his grudge against transportation before he gained the power to set the kingdom back to the stone ages. _What are the stone ages anyway?_

"This way, your highness." They said, as they headed off toward the palace.

"Alright!" Natsu grinned. "And stop calling me your highness!" He yelled.

The guards sweat-dropped yet again.

 **~~~Inside the palace~~~**

"I understand your idea for me to marry Natsu," Hisui said to her father. "But why did we have to make the wedding in 2 weeks? I'm not sure everything's going to be ready in time."

The king sighed. "Because Defense Minister Darton gets back from his visit to Alvarez in a little less than 3 weeks."

Hisui glared at her father. "You're the king! Who cares what that old fart has to say?"

"It's just easier to do it without having to deal with his whining."

"Not easier for me! My wedding dress won't be finished till next Tuesday. That only gives us 3 days for alterations! 3 days!"

"Relax dear, it'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say. And what about the decorations? The catering? I still have to pick all that out."

"Don't worry, dear. Everything will be just perfect."

"It better be."

The faint flush on the princess's cheeks was the only indication that she was still angry from the conversation. The rest of her was the very picture of gracefulness. With her swift, easy steps she practically floated along the long stone corridor that led back toward her living area.

It wasn't that she was upset about her father's choice of husband for her. In fact, she actually liked the guy. Sure, his propensity to destroy things was legendary, but there were rumors that he exercised more control over his magic since the war ended. And hopefully, if he learned to control magic, he could learn to control some other things too.

Hopefully.

But even then, he had lots of good qualities. She couldn't help remembering his determination in the events after the GMG. How he'd led the way in defending her actions even after facing death in the battle against 7 dragons. His infectious cheerfulness that gave people the will to keep going even when it felt like hope was lost. The way he always looked toward the future, and how quick he was to forgive those for things they did in the past.

Indeed, if not for her station as princess, Hisui would've been courting Natsu long ago. But would he ever be ready for the responsibilities of running the country?

"Your highness!" A cry from the courtyard below interrupted her thoughts. _How could they see me from all the way down there? These windows are tiny._

"I said stop calling me that! Natsu is fine!"

The princess stifled a giggle as she looked out the window. The dragon slayer was headed through the courtyard, toward the servant's entrance to the kitchen.

"But you can't go in that way, your highness!" The guards said.

"I smell food, and I'm starving!" Natsu said. "And call me Natsu!"

"We can't do that your highness. And you'll eat soon enough. You're the future king of Fiore, which means you need to get used to acting like a prince! The main gate to the palace is this way."

"Is that right?"

"Aye sir!" Happy called out.

 _They're so boisterous I can hear every word from up here._ Hisui felt a slight blush come to her cheeks as she studied the dragon slayer from her window. He was tall, handsome despite – or maybe partly because of? - the scar on his face, and he was in excellent physical shape. Plus his pink hair was adorable. Who didn't like pink hair?

And Hisui resumed her casual stroll to her room, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be angry about something.

 **~~~Natsu~~~**

"Wow this steak is good," Natsu exclaimed between bites as food sprayed everywhere.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!"

Natsu stopped, looking up. "Whmf?" He said, his mouth stuffed full of food.

"The first thing you'll need to do is eat in a way befitting of a member of the royal family."

"Huh?" He said as he gulped down food.

His instructor, a tall, skinny woman with slightly angular features, leaned down so her face was only inches from him. "It means, your _highness,_ you have a fork. You have a knife. Use them. Or you can use chopsticks if you prefer."

Natsu gulped, trying to remember how to use the silverware. "I'm pretty sure this is easier to use than the chopsticks…"

With a little hesitation he grabbed the fork in his fist. He then skewered a large piece of meat and tore a smaller piece off with his teeth.

"Not like that." The sharp hiss caused the dragon slayer to flinch. "Take the fork between your thumb and forefingers. Then pick up your knife and cut your steak into bite-sized pieces."

Natsu gulped and picked the fork up as she'd instructed. With a little effort he was able to master the silverware in front of him, cutting the meat into small, bite-sized pieces as he was instructed. Then he slowly used the fork to skewer the meat and bring it to his mouth, one painful piece at a time.

When he was finally finished, he pushed the plate away. "Well, that was great. Now do you have a place I can go train?"

"Your highness," The woman, who identified herself as Irene, said icily. "Your vegetables."

"Vegetables?" Natsu glared at the green things on his plate. "You're really evil…"

"Aye sir!" Happy said cheerfully. Since he was a cat –

Happy "That's **_exceed_** **!** _"_

Since he was an exceed, which looks remarkably like a cat, he didn't have to worry about table manners.

When the meal was finally over Natsu sighed and got up. "Now can I train somewhere. And where's Hisui?"

"The princess has business to attend to," a guard replied, stepping in from outside of the room. "If your highness is finished with your meal, I will escort you to the tailor."

"The tailor? I wanna' go train!"

"Your highness must be fitted for clothes immediately. Your highness has a wedding is in two weeks."

"Oh fine," Natsu grumbled. "And I keep telling you to call me Natsu."

 **~~~At the guild~~~**

"I still can't believe Natsu's marrying the princess," Gray muttered. He, Juvia, Lucy, and Erza were all sitting at a table.

"No kidding," Lucy said.

"This is the first battle I have lost. I had sworn to make his heart mine," Erza said.

The other three stopped and gaped at her. "Wait," Lucy said. "You mean you _liked_ Natsu?"

"Of course I liked him." Erza said. "Surely you noticed. I did so many nice things for him. Knocking him out on the train so he wouldn't have to deal with motion sickness…. Rescuing his sorry ass when he was in over his head… Stopping him from making an idiot of himself with his non-stop fights with Gray…"

The others all sweat-dropped. "I'm glad Erza doesn't _like_ me," Gray whispered to Juvia.

Juvia mentally crossed Erza off her love rival list.

"But I thought Natsu was going to be mine," Lucy said, tears appearing in her eyes. "He barely knows the princess. How could he choose her over me?"

"I don't think it was a matter of choice," Erza said quietly.

The other three stared at her. "What?!"

Erza blushed. "Oh, just something I overheard Natsu say as he was leaving. But you can't repeat any of that."

"She cheated…" Lucy muttered.

"Juvia wishes she were a princess," Juvia said dreamily. "Then Juvia could make Gray-sama marry her."

"Where's the fun in that?" Lucy said, starry eyed. "It's better to make a guy fall for you than to make him marry you."

"So Lucy doesn't care that the princess made Natsu-san marry her?"

Lucy flushed. "Ok… I guess it does have its perks."

"Juvia, keep your hands above my belt," Gray complained.

"But Gray-sama's not wearing a belt, because Gray-sama's not wearing pants. Or a shirt."

"What?" Gray looked around for his clothes.

Juvia produced them. "Juvia picked them up for Gray-sama!"

Gray quickly got dressed. "Umm… thanks," he muttered.

"Juvia will accept whatever punishment Gray-sama wants to give," Juvia said, bending over and wiggling her hips. "Perhaps Gray sama would like to use Juvia as a chair."

"I'm not into that!" Gray yelled as the guild stared.

 **~~~At the palace~~~**

"Man, I've been standing here forever," Natsu groaned as the tailor did one last set of measurements.

"It's only been 15 minutes, your highness." The tailor replied calmly. "And your highness's measurements are almost done."

Natsu sighed, looking around the room with a bored expression. "I haven't gotten to train all day."

"If your highness requires physical exercise, I believe your highness will get some after I'm finished here."

"Alright! I'm fired up!"

"Will your highness please hold still?"

"Gah." Natsu said in annoyance.

 **~~~5 minutes later~~~**

"Finally! Fresh air!" Natsu yelled as they ran out into a large, flat arena. The arena was solid stone enhanced with magic so that it wouldn't break, with a circle about 150 feet in diameter drawn for combat.

"This is awesome!" Natsu grinned.

"Excuse me your highness," Natsu looked up to see a man with a short beard clad in knee-length shorts and a t-shirt. "I will be instructing your highness in physical fitness."

"Alright. That I don't need," Natsu said. "You're free to go…. Do whatever it is you do when you're not instructing."

"But your highness, I am personally responsible for your highness's level of fitness."

"Alright, look." Natsu said boredly. "Let's have a push-up contest. If you can do more push-ups than I can, you get to be my instructor. If I do more than you, you leave me alone."

"I guess that's fair enough, your highness," the man responded. "And my name is Jacques by the way." He got in a push-up position.

"Just to make this interesting, I'm doing my push-ups like this." Natsu jumped up and landed upside down, balancing all his weight on one arm.

Jacques sweat-dropped. "Surely your highness is jesting."

"Nope!" Natsu grinned. "Let's get started."

The dragon slayer's would-be fitness instructor was in great physical shape. Natsu had to give him that. But nothing could beat a dragon slayer's balance, strength, or endurance. After 700 push-ups Jacques finally collapsed, while Natsu, still pushing up and balancing on only one arm, continued all the way till 800 before the other man admitted defeat.

And from a window high above the training arena, a certain green-haired princess stopped to admire the man's glistening six-pack and bulging biceps.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. They all belong to Mashima.

Not sure what I'll update next. I've been working on the next chapter for The Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail as well as The Size of His Heart. Also, Fire Dragon of the Apocalypse is underway again.

Alright, finally finished chapter 3 of this. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"Alright, everyone listen up!" Makarov called from the front of the guild. "As you all know, the marriage of Prince Natsu Dragneel to Princess Hisui E. Fiore will take place in one week."

"Wait, _Prince_ Natsu?!" Gajeel said disbelievingly.

"Yes. As the betrothed of the princess, Natsu Dragneel is officially the crown prince of Fiore."

"How did flame brain get to be prince of Fiore?" Gray asked. "He'll probably destroy the castle or something."

He was instantly knocked to the floor by a metal gauntlet. "Regardless of our feelings about Natsu, I cannot have you speaking this way about the crown prince of the realm." Erza said.

"He does have a point though," Lucy sweat-dropped. "Natsu's not exactly known for his restraint…"

"QUIET!" Roared the master. "I'M STILL SPEAKING!"

Instantly the whole guild was silent.

"As I was saying, the wedding is in one week." The master resumed. "The prince and princess have honored us by requesting that certain members of Fairy Tail take part in the royal wedding."

"First, Prince Natsu requests that the following members be appointed as groomsmen for the wedding ceremony: Gajeel Redfox. Laxus Dreyar. Elfman Strauss. And Gray Fullbuster. These members will go to the capital city immediately to be measured by the royal tailor."

"Princess Hisui has requested that the following members act as bridesmaids: Lucy Heartfilia. Erza Scarlet. And Wendy Marvell. She also requests that Asuna Connell participate as the flower girl."

"If your name was called, please come to the front of the guild and collect your ticket. The royal family has paid for your train fair, as well as a week's stay at the nicest resort in Crocus."

There was a long silence, which was broken by Gajeel.

"Ya know, I always said Salamander was a great guy."

"No you didn't!" Gray yelled, his clothes coming off. "You always said he was a cocky jerk."

"You looking for a fight ice princess?"

"Bring it metal head."

And the guild erupted into a brawl.

 **~~~Crocus, the royal palace~~~**

Natsu sighed as he laid back on his enormous bed. This was the one place in the whole palace where he could actually be alone, and he'd never been more glad to be alone for a few minutes.

Normally the pink-haired dragon slayer thrived on people. He loved being around people. People energized him. Made him happy.

 _Happy_. The exceed had flown off to greet Natsu's friends, who'd just arrived in Crocus. Natsu wasn't permitted to go. There was too much to do. _Now what was I thinking about? Oh right. People. People are cool._

But the palace people were different. They all kept calling him stuffy things like "your highness" and barely talked to him except in the line of duty. They were constantly reprimanding him for breaking some social rule or other, and there was nothing more boring than trying to learn how to be a successful businessman as well as a successful ruler.

He wondered how his guild was doing now that he was at the capital. Probably the same old guild. The king did say something about allowing him to stay in Fairy Tail, but he wasn't quite sure how that would work since his home was now in Crocus.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Probably another one of those stupid guards telling him it was time for a lesson in history again, or worse, etiquette.

"Whaddya want?" He called out.

The door opened, and the king came in. Natsu jumped up in surprise.

"What's up Kabo… I mean your majesty?" He said, remembering his etiquette lesssons.

The king laughed. "It seems strange hearing you use those words, Natsu Dragneel," he said. "But at least it shows that your lessons are paying off."

He paused, then continued. "I actually came to give you this, Natsu." He handed the dragon slayer a teleportation lacrima. "This lacrima will teleport you to a special training ground well outside of town," he explained. "Somewhere you can go all out and not have to worry about destroying anything."

"Umm… Thanks, but why?"

"I want you to get stronger, Natsu. Push yourself past your limit every day. Become the strongest wizard in Fiore. No, in all Earthland."

"Well, that's what I already planned on doing, but why?" Natsu asked.

The king just smiled. "I will tell you when the time is right."

As the king started to leave, Natsu called out "Hey K… your majesty? When will I see the princess? It's already been a week and I still haven't even spoken to her yet."

The king just laughed. "Sorry Natsu, but you don't get to see my daughter till your wedding day."

"WHAT?!"

"I didn't know you were so eager to see your fiancé," the king said with a grin. "You two must really be in love."

Natsu blushed. "I just thought we'd spend a little time getting to know each other before the wedding."

"That's what the rest of your lives are for," The king said, waving his hand dismissively. Then he was gone.

"Grr… Now I need to blow off some steam," Natsu said as he used the teleportation lacrima.

The lacrima transported him to a huge, wide open space, and he looked around surprised. There was nothing but plain for miles around, with a forest starting somewhere so far in the distance he could barely make out the outlines of the trees.

But what was really strange was that he couldn't smell any life forms. No humans. No animals. Just trees, rocks, and grass. Where the hell was he?

Just then a giant video lacrima screen appeared nearby, and the king was on it. "Hello Natsu. What do you think of our training dimension?"

"What?!" Natsu exclaimed, but the recording of the king went on talking.

"The teleportation lacrima I gave you doesn't teleport you to a different location. Rather, it teleports you to the same location in a different dimension. The dimension you're currently in was actually created as a training ground by some of the most powerful mages in the history of Fiore. You can do as much damage as you want today, and when you come back tomorrow everything will be back just the way it is now."

"Now grow stronger, Natsu. For the sake of my daughter and your future children. You must grow stronger."

"You don't need to tell me that old man," Natsu said as the image faded. He grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Finally, a place I can really let loose!"

For the next couple hours the fire dragon slayer demolished over 10,000 square miles of the landscape.

 **~~~A week later~~~**

Natsu couldn't believe the day was already here. He stood tall in his blood-red tuxedo and black dress shirt, with a white tie that had a red and orange flame pattern licking the edges all the way up to the knot at the top. Behind him Gray, Elfman, Gajeel, Laxus, Sting, and Rogue all stood in their own fire-orange tuxedos, each wearing a white shirt with a black tie. The wedding planners had objected to the flashy attire at first, but Natsu wouldn't have it any other way. And in the end, being the crown prince of the realm did have its perks.

Then the bridesmaids started coming down the aisle. First came Erza, wearing a dark green dress that clung tightly to her form, accenting her large bust and slender waist before flowing down and billowing out past her shapely hips, flowing just above the ground around her ankles. The dress itself seemed to have a gemlike quality to it, as though the entire thing were not actually cloth but a gorgeous, liquid emerald that just happened to be in that shape.

Behind Erza came Lucy, wearing a similar dress that was fitted to her busty form. Then came Wendy, Yukino, Kagura, and Jenny. Then Asuna came down the aisle. She wore a more pale green dress that sparkled like it had a million diamonds in it as she spread pure white flower petals down the aisle.

Then, last of all, came the bride. And Natsu's breath caught in his throat when he saw her.

Hisui E. Fiore was always the perfect picture of elegance. As a member of the royal family, she'd been carefully groomed for that. But today she was more than that. Her pearl white wedding dress, accented with hints of pale green, clung tightly to her ample breasts, the neckline curving down just enough to give the slightest peek at her cleavage. A jade heart rested just above the cleavage, strung on a pure silver necklace that was woven in a tiny, but intricate, design of dragons entangled together around her neck. The dress's waistline was adorned with small pearls and diamonds that were sown into the dress, accenting her tiny waist. The front of the skirt pressed close against her body, giving a tantalizing hint of her voluptuous, curvy hips. From there it flowed down to the floor, falling in gentle cascades around the princess's feet. There was no veil, for such was not the custom in Fiore. Rather, her beautiful face, from her creamy skin and the gentle glow in her cheeks to her large, green eyes was fully visible. The dragon slayer was enraptured by the beauty, unable to take his eyes of her as she glided gracefully down the aisle. In that moment any annoyance he had over being married to someone he didn't even really know fled from his mind.

When she finally reached him, she turned toward him as the archbishop began the ceremony. Her scent was intoxicating. Fresh and wild like the clover opening up after rain, yet refined like the beautiful roses of the palace gardens. Her lips were perfect too, beautiful, not too thin nor too full, adorned with a dark red lipstick that contrasted her jade hair perfectly.

He barely heard the words of the archbishop as he droned on about the princess and the kingdom behind them. His eyes and thoughts were only for Hisui at that moment. He wondered how he'd never noticed that she was this beautiful. Sure, he'd seen her as cute before, but this was a whole new level. She was beyond beautiful. Beyond gorgeous. There were no words that could describe what he was feeling as he looked at her right now.

Suddenly the archbishop coughed loudly, causing Natsu to look toward him. As he did, he also noticed the ring-bearer, holding out the rings expectantly.

"Oh," he grunted, his cheeks flushing slightly. He grabbed the rings from the pillow and gave the one that would end up on his finger to Hisui.

He recited his vows, which of course had been written by the royal family, by rote, slowly slipping the ring onto the princess's finger. He saw her blush a little as he looked deep into her eyes and she started to say her own vows, then slowly slipped the ring onto his finger.

The archbishop droned on again for a few minutes before saying the only words that cut through Natsu's mental haze.

"You may kiss the bride."

And instantly his lips met hers, hungry and passionate. She seemed surprised at the intensity of the kiss, but returned it just as earnestly as his arms slid around her waist. Her arms slipped up around his neck and the kiss lasted several long moments before they broke, working to catch their breath in a dignified manner.

Cheering and clapping broke out all over the ballroom, and then the two departed. Natsu had to think about walking slowly down the aisle as he'd been instructed many times.

Once they made it through, they were beset by people congratulating them and wanting something. One of the first of these was Jason, the intrepid reporter from Sorcerer Magazine.

"COOOL!" He said. "Natsu Dragneel, crown prince of Fiore! You and your wife must be our feature picture! COOOL!"

Natsu growled inwardly as he spent the next 45 minutes posing for different pictures from various people. Now that the immediate thrill of the wedding was over, he realized two things. One, he was hungry. Two, the intoxicating scent of the princess was making him want something that he'd sworn he was going to make her wait for as punishment for forcing him to marry her. He was a little disturbed by the second, since he'd been absolutely certain of his ability to control that part of himself. After all, he barely knew the girl. _I can't wait to see her naked._ Wait, what? Fuck, that's not what he meant to think about. He was thinking about how mad he still was that he'd been forced to marry her and how amazing she would taste. _Oh fuck me. I need to get my mind on something else_.

Finally it was time for the food. The ballroom had been quickly rearranged from the ceremony, and now held a large number of tables along with a "head table" that hosted the bride, groom, and the wedding party. Natsu and Hisui were in the middle, waiting for the food to be brought forward.

When it finally came, the food smelled delicious. Natsu welcomed the break from the intoxicating scent that had him ready to rip the princess's wedding dress off and – no, that wasn't what he wanted. He shook his head to clear it. Then slowly picked up his fork and his knife and began cutting his steak into bite-sized bits.

He felt eyes on him and looked up. Every member of his guild, as well as Sting, Rogue, Lyon, Chelia, and a few others from other guilds, were staring at him with their mouths hanging open. He shot them a look of annoyance.

"What's up with you guys? Do I look like some kind of freak show or something?"

"Your… fork…" Erza muttered, her mouth still wide. "You're… using it…"

"Food.. not.. flying… everywhere…" Lucy gaped.

Natsu sighed and resumed eating. The meal was good. The cream sauce that was served over the steak was especially good today, and he was finally getting used to the vegetables. He would never like them, but he could at least tolerate them now. He finished the last of his food and carefully wiped the corners of his lips with his napkin.

"Again with the staring people," he muttered as he noticed people from his guild staring at him. Didn't they have anything better to do than gawk at his eating habits?

The next portion of their wedding reception consisted of people getting up and talking about their memories of the two. Natsu sighed, a little bored, as Fairy Tails began to recount some of his greatest and most embarrassing moments.

Suddenly he felt a head on his shoulder and looked over. Hisui was clinging to his arm, her head resting gently against him. He felt a little heat rising to his face. "Hisui?"

"It's been a tiring day," the princess said in a whisper. "And this is the most boring part. Right now I just want to get my husband back to the bedroom."

"Husband?..." Oh, right. He was married now. The suggestive tone to her voice as she made the comment made him blush, and he couldn't help taking a peak at her cleavage. Her current position made it easy for him to see a little more of her creamy breasts. Not enough to reveal her full figure, but enough for him to crave more. He wanted to get her back to the bedroom. To see every inch of her beautiful, intoxicating body. To…

 _No! I'm going to make her wait as punishment for forcing me to do this!_

Well, yeah… But wasn't it enough punishment to make her wait till evening? Maybe he could just punish her some other way. Like getting a little kinky in the bedroom…

 _What the fuck? Why is my own mind betraying me?_

He could feel the warmth of her breasts pressing against his arm as she clung to it, her head still resting against his shoulder. Her scent had changed subtly. With the earlier aromas was a new, slightly husky smell that made his head thick with desire. He couldn't even focus on what was going on around him anymore. All he could think about was when this was going to end so he could get back to the bedroom with his bride.

 **~~~A little later~~~**

The wedding was finally over, and the now married couple had returned to the princess's bedroom. The princess left Natsu on the bed while she freshened up, allowing his mind a little time to clear. His determination was set again. He knew what she wanted, but she needed to be punished for forcing the marriage. She'd have to wait at least a week.

"Oh Natsu…" He looked up to see the princess coming out of the bathroom. She'd changed out of her wedding dress into a tiny, jade green negligee, through which he could see her amazing breasts, no longer constrained by a bra. She had silky green panties that just covered her nether region, and he could smell the intoxicating – almost suffocating – scent coming from her again.

 _Must… control… Oh fuck it!_ He caught his wife in his arms and practically threw her to the bed, and for the better part of the night he enjoyed the privileges that came with being her husband.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. Mashima owns all that.

So, a couple things to address from previous reviews. First, this story takes place presuming the Alvarez arc ends with Fairy Tail victorious, Zeref conquered, and Natsu still alive. It also assumes that Acnologia is still alive. I did drop some clues as to the time frame of the arc before (particularly the scar on Natsu's face, as DDraig picked up, which he didn't have till after he fought Zeref in the Alvarez arc).

Hopefully, this chapter answers the question of whether there will be more to this story well enough.

Anyway, here's the story. Read and Review as always! :)**

* * *

The next morning when Natsu woke up, he was a little surprised what he awoke to find. Long locks of green hair were falling over his chest, while warm, soft pillows pressed against his side. A dainty, fair-skinned hand rested on his abs, and he could feel the warmth of the girl's face against his chest.

"Ugh.." he moaned as he stretched out, looking at the sunlight pouring in the window.

"Good morning sleepyhead," giggled Hisui, turning her head to look up at him. "Sleep well?"

"Umm, yeah…" Natsu rubbed the back of his head ruefully. "How long have you been awake?"

"No more than 20 minutes," the princess said. "I didn't get up because I didn't want to wake you right away. Plus, this is quite comfortable," she grinned.

"Hmm…" Natsu sighed. _Well, now I failed to punish her the way I'd planned. I guess I'd better at least get to know her a little._ "So princess…"

He was interrupted by a pillow to the side of his head.

"What was that for?" He almost yelled, grabbing a pillow and staring at his wife, who was now sitting up and giggling with a pillow in her hand.

"Because I felt like it!" She gave him an impish smile.

"Oh yeah?" Natsu smacked her with his pillow. Immediately she swung her pillow at him in return, and soon the pillows were flailing wildly, each trying to inflict as many blows with the soft instruments as they could on the other. Both were laughing hysterically when they finally collapsed breathlessly back to the bed.

"Well, can't say I expected that," Natsu said with a little grin.

Hisui rested against him. "That was fun," she giggled. "You know I never get to do silly things like that… my whole life somebody's watching me, looking to me as an example, or expecting a certain behavior from me. I'm really happy I'm married to you, Natsu." She smiled. "Because at least I can be this way around you. I know you won't think less of me for it."

Natsu was surprised. He'd expected his first few talks with the princess to be formal instruction like he'd been receiving from practically every other member of the castle staff since he got there. He'd never known that this part of the princess existed, and he certainly wouldn't have expected to see it come out this quickly. Already, without much effort even, she'd managed to break down some of his barriers and worm her way into his affections. Just by being herself and starting a little pillow fight.

"You should let yourself loose more often if you enjoy it so much," was all he said.

"I can't do that," she replied, a little sadly. "It's part of my job to keep a stately demeanor. I used to wish that I wasn't the princess, but there are some things you don't get to choose. And I've learned to enjoy my life as princess Hisui E. Fiore."

"Well, now you can do it more often, when we're alone." Natsu grinned at her. "In fact, as your husband, I insist that you do it."

She blushed a little and kissed him softly on the lips. "Thanks Natsu."

"Mmm…" Natsu kissed her back. "I think I could get used to this marriage thing."

Hisui giggled. "I certainly hope so. You're stuck with it you know."

Whatever Natsu was about to say was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Princess Hisui, Prince Natsu! Your briefing with Minister of Defense Darton is beginning in half an hour. Are you almost ready?"

"I'll be ready in 20 minutes!" Hisui called out, drawing back from Natsu with a sigh.

"Great, that'll be boring as all hell," Natsu sighed.

"At least we've got the party afterward," Hisui giggled. "And every mage in the kingdom is invited."

"Yeah, can't wait for that." Natsu grinned as he climbed out of bed and started getting dressed. Well, almost started getting dressed. He was about halfway to his wardrobe when he found himself entranced by the sight of Hisui slipping off her tiny jade nightgown, revealing her lacy white panties.

She must've felt his gaze, because she turned half toward him, giving him a nice side profile of her ample breasts. "Like what you see?" She purred.

"You are so lucky we have somewhere to be," Natsu growled.

"Hmm… I don't know if I would put it quite that way," Hisui said with a smirk as she chose a bra and started slipping it on.

Natsu sighed, shaking his head as he turned back to his own wardrobe. The palace tailor had taken 2 tries before he learned that Natsu's clothes had to be flame resistant. His new outfit was similar to his old one, but more elegant. The pants weren't quite as baggy, and they had golden dragons emblazoned on each leg. In addition, they went all the way down to his feet, which were now attired with shiny, black shoes with silver laces. His white vest had a large gold dragon embroidered across the whole vest, with the main body on the back, the head circling around to his right side, and the tail circling around to his left side. The vest was worn over a crimson shirt with ebony buttons and a comfortable, yet regal collar.

His hair also wasn't as messy as before. It was still spiky, but the spikiness was groomed and not wild and unkempt. All of these together helped him cut an entirely new figure – one fitting for a prince of Fiore.

29 minutes later Hisui and Natsu shuffled quietly into the conference hall in the palace. Arcadios was there, as well as the king and several of the high ranking military officials. There were two empty seats next to the king, which the pair carefully took. Natsu took the seat on the right, closest to the king, as his instructors had taught him.

Just as they finished sitting down, the lacrima screen flickered and Darton's face appeared. The prime minister was on a ship, currently leaving the kingdom of Alvarez.

"Good morning, Defense Minister Darton," the king said with a smile. "I trust all went well with your diplomatic mission?"

"Good morning your majesty, princess…" Darton's voice trailed off and his eyes bulged. "Your majesty, with all due respect, is this something that should be discussed with _him_ present?"

Natsu suppressed a laugh, fighting hard to keep the smirk in his head from spreading to his face. Beside him, Hisui squeezed his hand lightly, but gave no other sign.

"Defense Minister, the crown prince of Fiore should certainly be present for this, as the future relationships with our neighboring empires are most certainly his concern."

"Crown prince?..." Darton was unable to control the disbelief in his tone and etched on his face. "I heard nothing of an engagement."

"It all happened rather fast," the king replied. "I assure you I would've informed you, but I didn't want to interrupt your negotiations."

The defense minister scowled. "What's done is done, but with all due respect to your majesty, was there no other man left in Fiore to marry the princess? I think you could've done better pulling a bum off the streets…"

"Defense minister," the king's voice was harsh as Hisui's hand gripped Natsu's in a death grip under the table. "I will remind you that this is the crown prince you are speaking of. You don't have to like him, but you will be respectful. Is that clear?"

Darton scowled. "Yes, your majesty."

"Very well. Let's hear your report then."

"Well, your majesty, following the defeat of Emperor Spriggan and his personal defense force, the Alvarez Empire recognizes that establishing a trade relationship with Fiore is a better option than continuing the war. After some negotiations, they've agreed to open trade routes and help our country repair the damage that they caused in Hargeon and Magnolia. Alvarez is now ruled by Jacques Alvarez, one of the country's former nobles. He has agreed to the treaty, and all that remains now is for you to put your official seal on it."

"Very well, Minister. I will look over the documents when you return in two days. That briefing was… unusually short."

"I seem to have developed a sudden headache, your majesty. So if you'll excuse me, I desire to rest in my cabin for a bit."

"Very well defense minister. You may go."

The lacrima screen flickered off.

"Well, that went well." The king said as everyone started getting up. Natsu stood and prepared to leave as well, but the king caught him by his shoulder. "Natsu," he said. "I need to talk to you privately for a moment."

"Um. Ok, your majesty." Natsu said. He smiled at Hisui. "Don't leave for the party without me."

"I wouldn't think of it." The princess winked at him. "Too bad we only have 20 minutes before we have to go."

Natsu kept himself from smirking before turning back to the king. He wondered what was so important that the king needed to talk to him urgently. Was it something that couldn't wait till after the kingdom-wide party?

"Natsu," the king said when everyone else had left the room. "Now that you're married to the princess, you should know the real reason that I chose you to be her husband."

"The real reason?" Natsu stared at the king. So he hadn't been chosen because Hisui actually wanted him? Was everything she was doing now a big act for his sake? Suddenly the growing attraction he felt for the green-haired beauty began to dwindle.

"Well, the second reason, I guess." The king said. "The primary reason was that I could see Hisui liked you. But almost equally important to me is the power you have to protect her. And any heir you might give her."

"Hisui already has the whole core of rune knights to protect her, your majesty." Natsu said, still not knowing what to make of this situation. "Why is it so important that I have a lot of magic power?"

The king sighed. "It started shortly after I first became king…"

 **~~~FLASHBACK START~~~**

"So you call yourself King of Fiore?"

Toma Fiore looked to see a dark-skinned man with long, white hair gazing at him. The man had an evil aura about him that made him shudder with fear.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" He asked.

"There's only room for one king in this world. But I'm feeling generous today so I'll let you share the title. But there will be consequences."

"What consequences? And who are you?"

The man just smirked. "One day you will have an heir to the throne. And when that day comes, the child will belong to me at birth."

"No!" Toma glared at the man, though still shuddering in fear at his immense magic power. "You won't take my child!"

The man looked at him, his evil smirk widening. "Would you stop me, Toma Fiore? Do you have the power to stop the dragon king from taking what he wants?"

"Dragon… king?" Toma's eyes widened as he looked at the man before him. "But… that's impossible."

"Is it?" Acnologia smirked at the king. "You didn't think I was a dragon all the time, did you? That wouldn't be much fun at all."

"Please," Toma said. "Don't take my child. I'll do anything…"

"Anything? You seem awfully committed to this child you haven't even had yet. You'll really do anything for some brat you have yet to conceive?"

"Anything," Toma confirmed. "As long as it means my child stays with me."

Acnologia shrugged. "Fine. I won't take your firstborn child. I'll take the second. But in return, you have to celebrate the festival of the dragon king in honor of me."

"What do you want a human for anyway?" Toma asked, trembling slightly.

Acnologia just smirked at him. "Not that I need to explain myself to you, but I've decided it's time for me to have an apprentice. In fact, why not make your second child a female. That way I can get an apprentice _and_ a mate all in one. Actually, now that I think about it, if your first child is a girl and your second child is a boy, I'll just take the girl. That will work out best for both of us, won't it?"

"It's a deal," the king said. _I just won't have a second child…_

"And one more thing," Acnologia said as Toma Fiore began to walk away. "If you only have one child, I'll make sure to come for your first grandchild. And I'll be sure that the child's parents aren't spared the experience of watching their offspring die. Then I'll take your firstborn as my apprentice anyway, after killing his or her mate. And you'll be left with nothing."

Toma shuddered at the chilling promise as he walked away. He had to figure out a way to beat the black dragon before he could take an heir to the throne.

 **~~~END FLASHBACK~~~**

"I was hoping Acnologia would die in the ward. That he and the black wizard would just kill each other," the king said sadly. "But unfortunately it didn't, and Hisui was old enough she would've had to have married soon."

"You know, I would've helped you protect the princess even if I weren't married to her," Natsu said quietly.

"I know you would, Natsu. But Hisui really was interested in you. She never would've admitted it if I hadn't made the first move. But she was. And if I hadn't chosen to force your hand in this situation, she would've ended up married to some wealthy noble who only knows how to be pampered all the time. Those were the kind of men Darton picked for her."

Natsu was silent for a long time. He wasn't entirely sure what to think, still. He felt that the king was telling the truth, but he still didn't really like being forced into a marriage the way he had. The conversation was bringing those feelings back.

But Hisui… Well… He sighed. He couldn't be mad at her, especially after glimpsing how hard it was for her to take on the role of princess. To always be the perfect girl that the realm expected its princess to be.

"But Natsu," the king interrupted his thoughts. "That's why I want you to train. As hard as you can. Every day. You have to be ready when Acnologia comes."

"You don't have to tell me," Natsu said quietly. He was troubled now. After the previous night he was really hoping that Hisui was using some sort of birth control. He wasn't sure he would be ready for Acnologia in 9 months, even if he trained his hardest every day. His power now rivaled Gildarts, but Acnologia was much stronger than Fairy Tail's ace.

"Well, don't you have a party to go to?" The king said.

"Yes your majesty," Natsu said, giving the king a quick bow. To his surprise, the king pulled him into a quick hug.

"There's no need for such formalities when we're alone, Natsu." The king said with a smile. "They don't really suit you."

"Umm… Thanks." Natsu rubbed the back of his head as he headed out. Today had just been full of surprises.

When he got back to their room, Hisui was waiting for him, sitting on one of the two large armchairs. "Well, what did daddy want to talk to you about?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh, just wanted to make sure I was ready for the responsibilities that come with being your husband," Natsu said with a shrug. It wasn't a lie after all, technically.

"Oh." Hisui smiled. "I'm glad that's all it was. I was afraid it would be something more serious."

"What's serious is that Darton guy," Natsu said rolling his eyes. "I think he needs to pull a few of those sticks out of his ass."

The princess laughed. "Darton wants what's best for the kingdom, but sometimes he has trouble seeing past his ego," she said. "I'll admit he made me pretty angry today."

Natsu was happy to hear her say that. He turned to her and kissed her gently on the lips. "Say Hisui," he said, more seriously. "Are you using contraceptives? Cause we weren't really careful at all last night, and I'm not sure I'm ready to be a father."

Hisui giggled again. "Yes Natsu, I'm on birth control. So you can go all out without worrying about getting me pregnant. For now."

Natsu grinned. "Good to know. Though I'm not sure about the 'for now' part."

"Well," she said with her own smirk. "That's the best that you're getting. And we have somewhere to be now."

Natsu looked at the time. "Oh shit. We'd better hurry. Can't be late to our own party."

"Nope. I'm sure everyone's looking forward to seeing you." Hisui said.

"Heh. I'm fired up!" Natsu grinned, and the pair headed out for the party.

 **~~~Erza~~~**

Erza smiled as she came into the grand ball room, looking at the tables laden with all the best delicacies of the realm. But most of all she smiled when she saw Natsu. She was a little surprised at his appearance. His regular attire had given him a ruggedly handsome look, but now he was downright hot. She couldn't help feeling a little jealous of Hisui as she held her husband's hand, smiling and greeting people with him.

She also couldn't help noticing that Natsu was acting much more natural with the princess. The previous day he'd been a little stiff and pulled back, but apparently she'd managed to push past whatever barriers had been between them in the past night. She felt a drip of blood come out of her nose as she started imagining the kind of things they did to each other last night.

"Earthland to Erza," Natsu's voice interrupted her fantasies, and she turned to see the couple smiling at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry Natsu. I mean, your highness." She did her best curtsey. "I was just thinking…" She felt the blood rising to her cheeks.

Hisui was watching her, and Erza wasn't sure that she liked the perceptive smile on the girl's face.

"No need for formalities Erza," Natsu said with a grin. "Just call me Natsu, please."

"I think it might be best to address you in a manner fitting of the prince, with all due respect," Erza replied, blushing slightly. "Just because I'm part of your guild doesn't exempt me from that. That would be a bad example for the rest."

Natsu sighed. "I'll never get used to this…"

Erza noticed that, though they were acting more natural than the previous evening, they still didn't have the feel of a true couple. The way they held hands and talked just didn't have that close familiarity that she would expect from a couple. Of course, they also had been together for, what, two whole weeks? She supposed this was to be expected.

"Erza?" Natsu asked again, and she realized he'd been talking the entire time. "Are you even listening?"

"Sorry, your highness!" Erza forced herself to focus on the conversation. "I'm afraid I wasn't. Please hit me."

"What? No." Natsu said. "Even though it's tempting. I was just saying that I need you to pick out a good request for Team Natsu to take next week. I cleared my schedule for the week so I could go an a job request with you guys."

"Oh, great!" Erza said with a smile. "I'm sure we can find something good."

"And make sure you get an S-class mission," Natsu added. "I've gotten a lot stronger in the past couple weeks."

"I can do that, your highness." Erza said with a smile. Team Natsu again, just like old times.

Well, almost. She couldn't help wondering how having the crown prince of Fiore along would change their experience. She watched Natsu move on to greet Lucy, Gray, and Juvia, who were all gathered by a table laden with red meats.

 _I wonder if things would be different if I opened my heart to you sooner, Natsu._ Erza closed her eyes and shook the thought from her head, turning to a dessert table that had plates and plates of strawberry cake.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Fairy Tail. Or the characters. They all belong to Mashima**

* * *

"When is Natsu gonna' be here?" Lucy asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Yeah, that dipshit said he'd meet us at the train station in Crocus," Gray said. "The train's leaving in 15 minutes. Where the fuck is he?"

"You should be more patient," Erza said, sitting calmly on a bench near the two. Wendy and Carla were sitting next to her. "Natsu said he would be here by 9:15. That's still 3 minutes away."

"Yeah, but flame brain never shows up on time." Gray said with a growl. "He's gonna' miss the train. I know it. That asshole never does anything right."

Erza laughed. "Now, Gray. Natsu may cause a lot of damage and pick fights all the time, but he's pretty good at beating the shit out of our enemies."

"That's the only thing he's good at. Damned arrogant bastard. I bet he's even more of a prick now," Gray said.

"Are you people waiting for someone?" A cloaked figure asked in a soft baritone. His face was obscured by a hood, and he carried himself in a refined manner that was almost regal. A sword hilt shaped in the form of a dragon's head stuck out from under the cloak on his right side.

"Why do you ask?" Erza said, standing up and staring at the strange man, whose voice seemed oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite place it.

"I couldn't help overhearing your stripper talking," the man replied. Erza quickly realized Gray wasn't wearing any clothes. "Sounds like the guy you're waiting for is quite the jerk."

"Damn straight he is," Gray replied as he started looking for his clothes. "And it's not polite to call people strippers you know."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man replied. "I assumed that your state of dress was a reflection of your occupation."

Erza bit back a chuckle, then looked at the time. It was 9:15. She sighed. "Well, I guess you guys were right. He still can't make it on time for anything."

"Perhaps I can help," the man said. "If the matter is urgent. I happen to have just purchased tickets to ride on this train."

"You're suggesting we take you instead of our friend?" Erza asked incredulously.

The man shrugged. "Why not, if he's such a jerk? He doesn't sound very dependable, and it sounds like you need someone dependable for your work."

Erza moved forward, grabbing the cloaked man by the collar. How dare he insult Natsu like that? He didn't even know him, and he thought he could just step into her life and fill his shoes? "Don't ever presume…." She trailed off, her mouth opening and closing but no more words coming out. Then, without warning, she slapped the man hard across the face, causing him to fall back a pace and his head to snap back a little. This in turn caused his hood to fall back just enough to reveal a stupid grin and a shock of pink hair.

"Natsu?!" The others gasped. Even Carla lost her composure at the revelation that this well-mannered stranger was their belligerent pink-haired dragon slayer.

Giggles erupted from under the cloak, and a blue face came out. "That was totally hilarious!" Happy grinned.

"Hilarious?" Erza raged. "This is the first time we've really been able to see you in almost a month and the first thing you do is prank us?! You haven't changed at all, Natsu!" She practically yelled.

"Yeah flame brain." Gray smirked. "Still the same dipshit that left Fairy Tail for his dream bride."

"Fuck off popsicle," Natsu replied with his own smirk. "I never left Fairy Tail. I'm still a full member of the guild, and you're all invited to move to Crocus if you want."

"Thanks for the offer, but I think Magnolia needs us," Erza said.

Just then Wendy tackled Natsu in a hug. "Natsu-nii!" She said with a smile. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too Wendy," Natsu said. "Thanks for not saying anything, by the way."

All eyes turned to Wendy. "You knew?..."

Wendy blushed, but Natsu spoke. "Of course she knew. She's a dragon slayer. I had to signal her not to say anything or she would've spoiled the joke."

"Traitor," Lucy said to the girl.

"I don't know which is funnier," Happy said with a grin as the others approached to greet Natsu. "The way none of you even realized who Natsu was, or watching Erza assault the crown prince of the realm."

Erza was mortified. She _had_ just assaulted the crown prince of the realm. Sure, he'd just played a joke on all of them, but that was no excuse. He was her future king, and she was still treating him like her rambunctious guild mate. Instantly she dropped to a knee.

"Forgive me your highness," she said. "You may strike me however times you desire."

Natsu looked embarrassed. "Get up Erza," he said. "There's no need for that shit when we're alone." He then pulled the hood up over his head again.

Erza wasn't so sure, but she did as he commanded. He was the prince, after all. She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand.

"Look, I'm going to say this once to all of you. When we're in public I have to do all the formality shit. I don't like it, but I've learned to accept it. But when we're out on a quest like this and it's just the team, I don't want to hear that shit."

Erza sighed. She was going to have a hard time accepting this one. She was already having trouble moving Natsu from the position of rambunctious, sometimes slightly obnoxious guild member to prince of the realm. Now he was asking her to separate hi into two categories depending on the setting. That was surprising, and even a little unsettling. She'd never imagined the dragon slayer was even capable of this kind of compartmentalization of personal and public life.

Natsu just laughed. "If it helps, that's an order Erza."

Erza's jaw twitched. Now it wasn't just a request from her guild mate, but also an order from her prince. Fuck. How was she even going to manage it?

"I'll try, Natsu," she said after a moment's hesitation.

"Good," Natsu said." Now let's get on the train before it leaves."

Erza looked at the time. It was 9:25, which left them only 2 minutes to boar before the train's doors closed. The group quickly made their way onto the train and took their seats at one of the larger booths.

"So what's with the cloak and hood, Natsu?" Lucy asked. Erza was kind of glad she did, since she was wondering the same thing but hadn't been bold enough to ask.

"Oh," Natsu said. "It's just… My name and face has been all over every newspaper and magazine in Fiore recently, and I'd rather not have people recognize me."

"Aye sir!" Happy said. "We can't even go out in Crocus without Natsu getting swarmed."

"What's so bad about that?" Gray asked. "I wouldn't mind getting swarmed by fans."

Natsu sighed. "I just want to lead a normal life. Is that too much to—"

He stopped midsentence, his face turning green as the train started to move. Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Wendy all started laughing. "At least some things haven't changed," Gray said.

"You… guys… are… mean…" Natsu choked out between desperate efforts not to lose the contents of his stomach. "Fuck… Next.. time… we're… so… walking…"

"You can't do that Natsu," Happy reminded him. "As the prince, you don't have the time to spend traveling the kingdom by foot."

"Fuck… you… too…"

 **~~~A few hours later~~~**

"I'm never getting on one of those again!" Natsu declared as he got off the train, resisting the urge to kiss the ground as he pulled his cloak and hood tight around him.

"You always say that Natsu," Lucy said with a chuckle.

"And I always mean it," Natsu said. "It feels great to be on the ground again."

The others just laughed.

"So what's the job anyway?" Natsu asked.

"We picked one we thought you'd like. A dark guild attacked Wyvern's Ear, a new guild that formed here in Dianthus. They requested a few mages from a more powerful guild to give the dark guild a beat down next time they show up, and the council approved the request."

"Sounds great!" Natsu grinned. "I'm fired up!"

Suddenly his stomach rumbled loudly.

"But first let's get something to eat," he said.

Erza laughed. "No matter how much you seem to have changed, you're always the same Natsu we all know and love." She grinned.

A few minutes later they were at a restaurant, sitting at a table large enough to fit the whole team. Erza smiled as the waitress came up.

"Order anything you want Natsu," She heard Lucy say next to her. "We haven't seen each other for a while, so it's on me today."

 _Is she an idiot?_ Erza thought as she turned to stare at the blonde mage. _I'm pretty sure Natsu can order and pay for whatever he wants here._

"Well, I was gonna' pay for all of us," Natsu said with a grin. "But if you insist, I'll take you up on that offer Luce."

"Ah!" Lucy's face went from confusion to realization to embarrassment in quick succession. "Nevermind. I'm not paying today!"

"Are you going back on your word?" Natsu asked, his face not betraying even a hint of a smile.

"Of… of course not…" Lucy stuttered. "I guess I'll pay… for you…"

Natsu broke into a laugh. "Don't worry about it Luce, I was just having a little fun. Order anything you want today. I'm paying."

"Umm… Ok…" Lucy blushed.

"So how's life in the palace, Natsu-nii?" Wendy blurted out.

Natsu sighed. "Stuffy," he said with a half frown. "Everything's 'your highness this' and 'your highness that.' There's always somewhere I have to be. And they're making me learn all kinds of boring shit about Fiore's history. They've got this huge-ass library with all kinds of ancient books that I'm supposed to study so I can become a good king. But they're really boring and hard to read."

"How are you and the mrs. getting along?" Gray asked with a snicker.

Natsu glanced over at him. "Hmmm? Hisui's really nice, actually. When we're around other people we have to be all formal and polite and shit, but she's really fun to be around when we're alone."

"Do you love her?" Lucy asked. Of course Lucy would ask that question. Erza could tell the blonde still held out for the dragon slayer's return to the guild. Even though she certainly stood a better chance with him than the cosplayer.

Natsu didn't answer right away. Finally he spoke. "I think I do. It's still a little murky for me, with the arranged marriage and all. At first I just spent time with Hisui because I was supposed to, but already I actually want to spend time with her. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss her right now."

Lucy looked slightly disappointed. Erza was too, though she was careful not to show it. She really expected this anyway. Natsu's heart was big enough that he could love anybody in any circumstances. He'd never been the kind to hold a grudge or withhold affection from people he liked. And really, there wasn't a person in earthland that the dragon slayer would actually dislike.

"What's she like in bed?" Gray asked.

Erza didn't wait for Natsu's reaction. Such indecent questions could not be tolerated, especially when asked of the princess. She hit Gray hard over the head with her gauntlet.

"What?" Gray said, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

Surprisingly, Natsu just rolled his eyes at the ice mage. "If you really want to know what it's like to make love, why don't you ask Juvia out? I'm sure you two would be going at it in no time."

"Juvia would gladly give her body to Gray-sama!" A familiar voice said from a booth a short distance away.

Gray sweat-dropped. Natsu smirked. Wendy blushed. Erza and Lucy both laughed.

"She liiikes you," Happy informed him with a big smile and two paws up by his mouth.

"No shit cat," Gray said with a glare.

Just then the food died down, and they didn't get any conversation out of Natsu for the next several minutes. Erza couldn't help smiling. His eating habits had certainly changed, but he was still as focused on his food as ever before.

When the meal was finally over, they headed to Wyvern's Ear to meet with the guild master there. When they got there, Erza took the lead, opening the door to the guild.

They were greeted by a group of six bristling mages, all of whom had their magic ready to go. "What do you guys want?" A tall, green-haired man wearing a black button-up shirt that kind of clashed with his rugged blue jeans asked.

"We're Fairy Tail mages here to see your master."

They all looked at Natsu. "Why's he wearing a cape and hood then?" The man asked. None of the mages dropped their guard for an instant.

Erza sighed. "It's just his thing, ok? Look. We'll show you our guild marks. Then will you get your master?"

"What do you think Gurrod-sensei?" A shorter girl with a black ponytail asked.

"Well…" The man identified as Gurrod relaxed a little. "If I see your guild marks we'll let you in."

They showed him their guild marks, each in turn. Natsu was careful not to reveal his features as he pushed the cape and his shirt and vest to the side to reveal his guild mark on his shoulder.

"Alright. I'm sorry we doubted you," Gurrod said. "Shenja, go get the master please."

A girl with short violet hair hurried off toward the back of the guild. Erza thought she looked no older than 12.

"So you guys are a new guild huh?" She asked.

"Yeah," Gurrod said. "We formed six months ago with just me, Shenja, and Master Saito. We were just starting to get more popular when this dark guild attacked. They injured a bunch of our members and made the master pay half our jewels to keep them from killing us. Then they said they'd be back for more."

Erza scowled. It really angered her that mages with any power would treat a wizard guild startup that way. But then, there was a reason they were dark guilds. She couldn't wait to pound a few of them into the ground.

Just then the guild master, now identified as Saito, came forward.

"You are the Fairy Tail mages here to help with the dark guild?" He asked.

Erza inclined her head respectfully. "We are."

Master Saito extended his hand. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. Did you have any questions about the request?"

"It's our pleasure," Erza replied. "And yes, we did have two questions. How powerful is the dark guild that attacked you, and when are they going to attack again? The request was kind of vague on both these points."

The master nodded. "Well, the guild is called Banshee's Wail, and so far as anyone knows they're the most powerful dark guild to rise up since the end of the Balaam alliance. Nobody's really too sure of their full power, though. Some say it rivals that of Tartaros."

"I highly doubt that," Gray muttered. Erza elbowed him.

"As for when? We don't know exactly. Only that it will happen sometime in the next 3 days," the guild master replied. "They made sure we didn't have a specific time, probably for this very reason."

"So we'll have to post a 24 hour watch," Erza reasoned. "That way at least one of us will be awake if and when they decide to attack again."

Some of the members of the guild were muttering and pointing at Natsu, the master turned around for a few minutes, and Erza watched apprehensively. Could they have recognized Natsu despite all his precautions? If so, would the now official prince of Fiore stick around to complete the job with them?

The master turned back to them and look at Natsu. "Excuse me, sir." He said. "Would it be possible for you to remove your cape and hood. It makes the guild members a little nervous."

"Sorry, but that's not happening." Natsu said calmly. "I happen to like keeping these just the way they are right now."

"And he's with us," Erza said quickly. "If we're going to help you fight off the dark guild, he's staying."

Master Saito nodded. "I respect any mage's choices, no matter how bizarre they may seem. If the rest of you will vouch for him, that's enough for me."

"Tch. What a pain." Gray said in annoyance. Erza smacked him, and he quickly and profusely uttered his voucher for their cloaked friend. Each of the other members individually vouched for Natsu as well.

"Very well." Master Saito said when they were all done. "Then welcome to Wyvern's Ear. Make yourselves at home for the next few days. And thank you again for accepting our humble request." With that, he turned and headed back to his office. The other mages also headed back to their tables, though all of them continued to eye Natsu warily.

Slowly the five mages and the two exceeds headed for one of the larger tables in the guild, where they all sat down. Erza glanced around and saw lots of people still staring at them, but nobody approached the table. She figured it was because Natsu's presence was still making them nervous.

Finally Natsu scoffed. "Alright, I'm going to train for a while," he said with a sigh. "You guys get to know the guild members while I'm gone."

"Where are you going to train?" Lucy asked incredulously, pulling the question from Erza's lips.

Natsu smirked, but kept his tone very low. "I have a special training dimension created by some of the most powerful wizards in the realm," he said. "I can blow up as much as I want there and it'll all be back 12 hours later."

"Why didn't you just go there on the train ride then?" Erza asked.

"Well," Natsu said, "the lacrima that takes me to the dimension will transport me right back to where I was when I'm done training. The problem is, though I'm not 100% sure, I'm pretty sure it's linked spatially."

"Meaning you would be teleported back to the spot that you started from instead of to the train carriage…" Erza reasoned before her jaw suddenly hit the floor at the implications of what had just been said. "N—N-Natsu?" she stuttered. "Is that really you?"

Natsu looked a little annoyed as he turned his face directly toward her again. "Of course it is Erza. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Gray broke in. "You actually thought through something flame brain!"

"Yeah so?" Natsu said. "I know how to think. I generally don't like to, but I've been learning you have to sometimes."

Now Lucy's jaw hit the floor. "Learning?..."

"Tch." Natsu glared. "I'm outta here." He touched his lacrima and disappeared from sight, leaving the rest of the mages shocked.

Before they could discuss the new developments, however, mages from Wyvern's Ear began coming to the table to talk to the remaining Fairy Tail wizards. Fairy Tail was the most famous guild in Fiore, after all. Of course, most of the questions they wanted to ask were about the mysterious cloaked figure who had just mysteriously disappeared from their midst. Erza sighed. Next time they were definitely taking a job request that required less interaction with people.

 **~~~Two days later, a little after noon~~**

Gray had just finished complaining about how boring this job was so far when the guild doors burst open. Three men came in, all wearing cloaks and hoods similar to Natsu's. Erza suddenly understood why the guild felt so uncomfortable with him present.

"So, you guys thought you could get some protection huh? We're gonna' show you the true power of Banshee's Wail!" The man who spoke was nearly a giant by human standards, standing at least 7 feet tall with a large, muscular appearance to his figure. His face and the finer features of his body were hidden by his hood and cloak.

But... they'd made a few bad choices too. Apparently one of them was choosing to dress like Natsu, she deduced from the building magic pressure beside her.

"That's my look!" His words confirmed her suspicions as he charged the trio, knocking all three outside the guild with his first – surprise – attack. The shocked mages barely had time to regroup before the rest of the team charged out to follow.

"Now I can go all out!" Natsu exclaimed as they were outside. Erza didn't take time to dwell on the fact that he'd actually forced the fight outside to avoid damaging the Wyvern's Ear guild. Soon all five of the mages, and the two exceeds, stood in opposition to them.

"Five of you ain't gonna be enough," Erza could hear the smirk in their leader's voice. "Do you have any idea who we are?"

"Don't know, don't care." Natsu replied. "Cause you're all getting taken out right now."

"We're the fucking god slayer tribe. The strongest tribe in Banshee's Wail, bitches!" Said the leader. "Flame God's Bellow!"

Next to him another mage cried out "Ice God's Bellow!"

"Earth God's Crushing Hammer!"

The trio didn't even wait for the smoke to clear before they started arguing. "Wow, you totally ruined that with your hammer."

"What are you talking about? It added the perfect touch?"

"I mean we were supposed to go all in with breath attacks."

"It doesn't really matter as long as they're done."

"Do we look done to you?" Gray asked, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm fired up!" Natsu grinned, his body enveloped in flames.

"NATSU!" Happy said. "Your cloak's not fireproof!"

"Shit!" Natsu said, but too late. The cloak and hood that protected his identity was now burned to ash by the heat of his flames.

"Now I'm really pissed!" He yelled. "Fire Dragon King's Roar!" Erza had to step back from the intense heat coming from the back of the cone of fire that exploded from his mouth. She saw the others jumping back as well, and Gray quickly yelled "Ice Make: Shield!"

Erza watched the smoke attentively, wondering if their enemies were down or not. Slowly, three silhouettes rose from the ground, nearly 50 meters away.

"Just who the fuck are you guys?" The flame god slayer said shakily. "And how can your fire hurt me?"

"We're Fairy Tail bitches!" Natsu yelled, charging into the fray. Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Wendy followed him now that the intense heat was back under control.

Erza motioned to Wendy, who understood and charged the ice god slayer with her. To her right, she saw Gray and Lucy head for the earth god slayer. Happy followed Natsu, who was charging the flame god slayer, and Carla stuck with Wendy and Erza.

"Ice god's glacial blade!" A blade of ice at least 5 meters in width, 80 meters in length, and sharper than a surgical knife appeared above their heads, giving Erza just enough time to dodge to the right before it plunged into the ground, making a huge crater and knocking her a couple feet to the right. She quickly regained her balance.

"Requip: Purgatory Armor!" She was going to deal with this one fast. Next to her she heard Wendy chanting magic spells. She felt her feet become swifter. Her armor suddenly felt lighter on her body, and her sword felt like it barely weighed anything.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" The sky dragon slayer was giving her the momentary diversion she needed. As the ice god slayer dodged, she used her already super-human speed to close the distance almost instantly.

"Purgatory blade's judgment: eternal punishment!" She felt the blade connect, but not a direct hit. As the dust of the attack cleared and she jumped back, she saw a dark liquid oozing from her opponent's shoulder. Not the ideal place to hit, but not matter where her purgatory blade had struck this battle was already over. Anything short of a complete miss would mean the eventual end for her opponent. Now all she had to do was keep the damage dealt her to a minimum.

 **~~~Natsu~~~**

"Flame God's Scythe!" Natsu jumped over the black fiery weapon, charging in. "Lightning Fire Dragon Mode!" He growled, activating his dual element to do more damage. "Lightning Fire Dragon's Charged Iron Fist!"

The flame god slayer tried to block the attack, but it broke his guard and connected hard with his chest, pushing him back several feet and doing severe damage. He coughed, blood coming out of his mouth.

"This isn't fucking possible!" He yelled. "Gods are more powerful than dragons!"

Natsu smirked as he attacked with a Fire dragon's talon. "Were you trained by a god?" he asked.

"N-no…" The other mage replied.

"There's the difference," Natsu grinned, connecting with another talon attack that knocked the mage back.

"Damn you! Flame god's bellow!"

Natsu just let the attack hit him, then decided to suck up the flames, just for fun.

"Im..impossible!" The flame god slayer yelled as he watched his flames disappear into Natsu's gaping maw. "You can't eat my flames!"

"My stomach says different," Natsu grinned. "Thanks for the meal!"

"Flame God's Destroying Lance!" The attack made a crater near Natsu, throwing him to the side. When he recovered, he saw the fleeing figure of the flame god slayer.

"What the fuck kind of wizard runs away from a fight that he started?!" Natsu yelled, and charged the man, using his flames to move even faster than his already inhuman speed allowed. He caught him in no time, hitting him as hard as he could with an iron fist attack. He then caught the man as he slumped to the ground.

By the time he got back to the scene with the flame god slayer, the other two god slayers were already subdued. The one Erza had been fighting looked the worst off, with some kind of blackish-purple goo leaking from a wound on his shoulder, and eyes that were wide with what looked like terror. The one Gray and Lucy had fought was just knocked out and cuffed.

"What happened to him?" Natsu asked Erza, pointing to the ice god slayer.

"He got a good taste of my purgatory blade," Erza replied with a smirk.

Natsu shuddered a little. He had no idea what Erza's purgatory blade did, but she always referred to it as her most fearful weapon. And the man's expression certainly seemed to support that claim.

"Well, let's get these guys turned in," he said with a sigh. He knew the members of the guild had all been watching the fight, which meant they also must've seen his face.

 **~~~Erza~~~**

As they walked back into the guild with the captives, Erza saw all stares were focused on Natsu. As he came through the doors, all the guild members, including the master, knelt before him. "Your highness!"

"Fucking shit," she heard him mutter as he pulled himself up, standing straight and tall with an authoritative posture. "All of you rise, please." He said. "I'm here as a Fairy Tail wizard, not as the prince."

"Yes, your highness." They all said, standing slowly. But they gave him a wide swath. As Erza looked around, she saw all the girls in the guild looking at him differently, many with faint blushes on their cheeks. The guys were also casting almost constant sideways glances at the dragon slayer. She began to understand why Natsu wanted to keep his identity as a secret.

"Your highness," the guild master came up to him and bowed again. "I apologize for doubting you earlier. I understand your desire to keep your identity hidden."

Natsu sighed. "Don't worry about it," he said. "You were right to be suspicious, especially after the attacks from these clowns."

"Well," he said to the group. "Now that we've got these guys, let's head out for their guild and round up the whole group. The magic council should be happy after that."

Without waiting for their answer, he headed out, dragging the flame god slayer with him.

"Natsu," Erza said, following him. "Why are you bringing this person?"

"Well somebody needs to lead us to their guild," Natsu said as though it were obvious.

Erza's mouth opened, closed, opened again, and closed again. She was just about to stutter out a response when Gray and Lucy's laughter reached her ears.

"What are you laughing at?!" she rounded on them, drumming up the angriest expression she could muster.

"N-nothing Erza!" They both squeaked.

"Good," Erza smirked. "Especially for you, Gray. Since I can't assault the prince of Fiore, I'll be taking out my aggression for his shenanigans on you."

"What? That's not fair!" Gray yelled.

"Life's not fair, stripper." Natsu smirked from where he was. "Now let's wake this asshole up. Gray, I think maybe some ice will do the trick."

A moment later the fire god slayer, who was now engulfed up to his neck in ice, started awake.

"W-what happened?" He said, trying to struggle against the ice.

"You got your ass beat," Natsu said. "And if you don't want something worse to happen, you'll tell us how to get to your guild hall."

"Like hell I will. The rest of the guild will come for you, you know."

Natsu smirked. "Ok. Well, why don't you save them the trouble and tell us how to find them? Otherwise, I can let Erza beat the information out of you."

Erza smirked, requpping back to her purgatory armor. Apparently the man knew what it was, because his face suddenly became fearful.

"Alright!" He said. "Like you said, it'll just save them the trouble of hunting you down. Just go straight northeast once you reach the forest path to the north, and you'll get to the guild in about an hour."

"Thanks," Natsu grinned. Then he turned to Gray. "Toss this asshole back in with the rest."

"Don't worry," Erza heard Gray tell the captive as he complied. "Your guild mates will be coming soon. You can have a big happy reunion in the council's jail."

Then they set out into the forest to take down the rest of the dark guild.

* * *

**Ok. I admit, I have no idea what purgatory armor does. The only times you actually see it, it doesn't actually get a chance to do anything. So I just made something up.

Not sure I'm going to write out the fight with the rest of the dark guild. it requires making up at least a few names and some magic types that are used, all for something that's not really central to the plot. Well, we'll see.

Anyway, Read and Review plz. Ciao!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. Those are owned by Mashima.

So, I can see some readers really want a fight. I'm not 100% sure how much of the fight I want to write out, since it's not really a key factor in the plot, but I'll come to a compromise. I'll write out at least the guild master fight, and then depending on how that goes I might add a couple more high-power members before that.

Anyway, here's chapter 6**

* * *

"Man, this is really boring so far," Gray smirked as the team made their way down a staircase to the lower level of Banshee's Wail. Behind them dark mages lay unconscious and cuffed in groups across the guild hall. Most of them were out before they even landed an attack. "These guys are supposed to be the most powerful dark guild?"

"Don't get arrogant Gray, those were probably just the foot soldiers," Erza chided, remembering how many weak mages they'd encountered in their battle with Tartaros before confronting the 9 demon gates. "No army employs its generals as its gate guards."

"Most armies at least have soldiers," Gray countered with a smirk.

Barely were the words out of his mouth when the room went black. Not just black. Pitch black. Like somebody took darkness and filled it with blackness, and then made it even more black. Erza felt the weight of the darkness descend on her. Not too far away, she felt the heat of Natsu's flames and knew the dragon slayer activated his magic.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" The heat from his attack scorched her face and hair from its proximity. She would've berated him for such a dangerous stunt if she hadn't heard the attack connect with somebody only a couple feet away that hadn't been there a moment ago. Erza tensed up, wondering how she could've missed the presence of the enemy so close to her.

"Now this is a surprise," a deep voice spoke from the darkness. "How were you able to detect my movements?"

"Doesn't matter how," She heard Natsu say. His voice rang out a mere foot or two from her and she still felt the heat of his flames, but she couldn't even see a glimmer of light in the blackness that surrounded them. "All you need to know is that I'm gonna' kick your ass."

Erza heard Natsu's feet shift slightly, and then the sound of an impact of fist against metal. She shivered as she realized she hadn't heard their enemy move at all. Even now, Natsu's movements were easily detectable to her ear. But other than the sound of blows being traded, no sound came from the unnamed opponent.

The sound of combat faded, and the voice rang out again, this time further away. "You shouldn't be able to even tell where I am. I know you can't hear me, so how are you fighting me?"

"Instinct," Natsu's voice replied. Erza couldn't help laughing to herself at the simple, straightforward answer. Even though it told the opponent nothing, Natsu probably didn't know any more than that one word himself.

Natsu called out. "The rest of you keep going. I'm gonna' have to kick it up a notch to finish this guy off."

"Keep going?" Lucy's voice. "I can't even see my hand if I put it right in front of me. How are we supposed to keep going?"

"You're a Fairy Tail mage. Figure something out."

Erza suppressed a chuckle as she felt for the wall, which she knew wasn't far from her current position. It took her only a few moments to find it. She could hear motion from the others, who apparently figured out a way to move forward as well.

Moving as quickly as she could without her sight to guide her, Erza hoped this darkness would disappear as they got further in. She assumed it would be limited to a certain proximity to the caster.

 **~~~Natsu~~~**

He waited till the footsteps of the others receded to the next level before moving again, taking two carefully measured steps toward his opponent.

"Shall we begin in earnest then?" He asked, pushing his magic power up till the room became tangibly warmer.

His response came as his enemy charged forward quickly. The air shifted subtly to his right, the pattern and sound alerting him to his enemy's attack. He leapt inside of the blade that he knew was there, grabbing his opponent's arm with practiced skill and delivering a hard punch to the shoulder. His fist connected with armor again, and he quickly dropped and rolled past the man's body.

He was surprised to feel no movement from his opponent. But then a voice echoed through the dark room.

"If we're going to continue this, at least tell me your name."

"I'd rather not," Natsu said as he began gathering flames into his fist. "Though I would like to know yours."

"I'm Balfast, wielder of Erebus. Incarnation of darkness." Natsu could hear a smirk in the man's voice. "And I don't need to hear your name. A Fairy Tail mage who uses fire? Powerful enough to keep up with me in this darkness? The only person you can be is the Salamander, Natsu Dragneel. It's a pleasure to meet you." There was a pregnant pause before the man added, in sarcastic tones, "your highness."

"You just made me want to kick your ass even harder," Natsu growled, wrapping his fists in fire as well. He didn't enjoy pleasantries to begin with, but this kind of banter had no place on the battlefield. Status didn't matter. On the battlefield there was no king, prince, knight, or criminal. It was just a test of one person against another. The clash of two people wielding their magic to determine whose would win.

"I can't wait to get my ass beat by you, your highness." Balfast replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm still. "As amazed as I am that you can fight me in this condition, you haven't been able to land a hit yet."

This was true. Natsu hadn't landed a hit on his opponent yet, but he was still taking his time, learning his enemy's attack patterns.

Another attack. This one coming straight on. Natsu tensed, ready for the blow to come. A feint? Surely, his opponent knew he could sense him coming, and without his sight it was far more difficult to judge the blade's path as it changed directions.

He decided to dodge to the right, suspecting that Balfast could see his motion. His suspicion was confirmed when he sensed the subtle shift of the air around him, the blade diving out of its straightforward thrust and slashing down at his legs. Natsu was ready, jumping carefully so that his feet came down on the blade. In the moment it took the swordsman to recover from the surprise, he lashed out with his fire covered foot toward the man's midsection.

His foot connected with something softer than armor, and Balfast grunted, falling back a few steps. Natsu pressed his advantage. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" The fist connected again with the man's gut, driving him back into the opposite wall.

Balfast recovered quickly, moving out from the wall into his combat stance. Natsu felt the air shift again in the room, becoming heavier. Darker, if possible.

Then the man was moving forward again. Not a straightforward thrust this time. He was coming in with a slash from the right. Natsu moved back out of the way, only to feel another slash coming from above. Unable to change direction quickly enough, he raised his arm, pushing it up at an angle to deflect the descending blade. He avoided most of the damage from the attack, but he felt the sting in his arm where the blade connected and tore off a small section of his skin.

 _Two swords._ He dodged again as the original sword came in with a thrust, then moved out of the way of a vicious slash. He dove and rolled on the ground to the right and left of his opponent, forcing him to turn and throw himself off balance for a moment. A slash narrowly missed him as he came up, and a blade again descended from above.

Natsu stepped back. He would have to do a more ranged attack to make him back off again. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" He put enough power into it to damage a person without completely obliterating the stairs and the building they were in. He felt Balfast falling back under the barrage of flames.

He attacked again, pressing his advantage through the piercing blades that came up to block. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" The blades were unable to mitigate enough of the damage, and his opponent was thrown back again. This time he wasn't stopping to let him recover. "Fire Dragon's Secret Art. Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade."

Balfast rocketed from the wall even faster than before. Natsu barely had time to dodge his first attack before he heard the spell, "Erebus Incarnation, 100 Blades of Darkness!"

His body tensed as he felt blades forming all around him. The first came from the right, and when he dodged back another came from that direction. He went underneath, only to push up again as soon as the blade was clear to avoid a double attack rushing low from both sides. As he was coming down he twisted in the air, mitigating another double attack that still left two deep gashes in his chest and left arm. He quickly took off running, making his opponent track him with his blades. The motion made it easier for him to dodge as the blades always came from a more predictable position. He cut right, then back left, then rolled back to the right as the next blade missed. He could sense his target not far ahead, and he began pushing a large amount of his magic power into his two fists. As soon as he was within range, he executed an almost perfect 90 degree cut without slowing for an instant and brought his hands down on his opponent. "Fire Dragon's Crushing Hammer!"

Balfast hit the ground hard. Natsu still couldn't see him, but he'd given up every attempt at masking the noises he was making. Natsu heard his ragged, choking breath. The man was in bad shape, but not completely out yet.

His opponent got to his feet slowly, coughing and panting. Natsu smirked, though he couldn't see his condition he could tell from his opponent's movement speed and breathing that he was not in good condition. "Like I said, I'm gonna' kick your ass extra hard."

"Impudent brat." The change in Balfast's voice was amazing. It went from a lower-end, slightly dark baritone to a deep, demonic scream. "You haven't seen the potential of Erebos yet. Now I'll show you the power of darkness incarnate!"

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu said, unimpressed. "I've been fighting you in the darkness this whole time."

"You don't understand the meaning of darkness yet." The voice almost hurt his ears. "Darkness isn't just something that affects the eyes. It can be used against your ears. Your senses. Your very soul. You should feel honored. You're the first person I've ever had to use this level of power against."

As he finished, his voice stopped abruptly. So did his breathing, and his movements. Then Natsu realized he couldn't even hear his own breathing. He couldn't feel the airflow in the room anymore. Couldn't feel the fire that he knew wrapped his hands and feet.

But somehow an image appeared in his mind. It wasn't something visual. Not really. Just a general sense of red, and direction. He quickly leapt away from the quickly approaching red. Red meant danger. At least, that's what his instincts told him. As the sense appeared again and he didn't move as quickly, his instincts were proved correct as the edge of a blade caught his side.

Suddenly the attacks stopped again. Then Natsu began to get that sense of… red… all around him. Whatever was happening, his opponent was casting a major spell. He had to end this now, or he might not get a chance.

"Fire Dragon King Mode." This might be overkill, but it was the only way he could be sure to end this. He was certain that he spoke the words. His mind told him that he had, but he neither heard them, nor felt the sensation of his lips and tongue working the syllables. He could only believe the magic had activated as he'd instructed it, able to respond to commands even if the giver of those commands was unable to perceive his own voice or motions.

"Fire Dragon King's Blistering Inferno!" He still couldn't feel the effects of his command, but trusted that his magic activated. The red began to disappear from his sense around him. He kept the attack going for a few more minutes till all the red was gone.

Suddenly his senses were back, and he was assaulted on all sides by the effects of his attack. The bright, blinding fire that was warm even to the dragon slayer. The roar of the flames, echoing through the halls like the voices of the great dragons themselves. Knowing that the return of his senses indicated his opponent was defeated, Natsu released the spell. As the flames receded, he saw his opponent falling to the floor, his clothing burned away and his body covered with burns and scars.

"Im…Impossible…." Balfast managed to rasp out. Then his eyes closed, unconsciousness claiming him.

Natsu smirked at the fallen man, clapping cuffs on his wrist just in case he managed to wake up before they finished the rest of the guild. Then he started to head off to find the others.

And that was when the floor gave out, most of it still melted from the intensity of the heat.

 **~~~Erza~~~**

After they were a good distance from the fight, Erza was glad to be able to see again. It wasn't that she couldn't handle herself without her eyes. She'd proven many times in the past that she was very capable even without any of her senses. But she preferred to be able to fight what she could see.

And right now she was just seeing more rock and stone. They were continuing on a downward staircase, but about 20 feet ahead the wall to the left just disappeared. Erza drew her sword up to the ready position as they came to the room, wondering what awaited them around that corner. She rushed into the room, scanning immediately for enemies.

She found them quickly, not even attempting to hide. Standing near the opposite wall were three tall male wizards and one very short female wizard, all wearing the cloak and hood arrangements the first mages they'd met at Wyvern's Ear. The girl offered the group a mock bow, a smirk evident on her pert red lips.

"Welcome, Fairy Tail. I never thought you to be the type to sacrifice one of your own to move forward."

"Nobody's been sacrificed," Erza replied, allowing a smirk of her own. "We just know how to pick our fights."

"I still sense the darkness of Erebos, and it hasn't even been fully activated yet," one of the men said. His voice was gruff, and there was no sign of any emotion on his face. "Balfast is just toying with the one you left there to die."

Erza's grip tightened on her sword as her heart leapt to her throat. _Natsu…_ No. She had to believe in him. She'd seen the man accomplish incredible things even before he managed to attain this level.

But Erebos. The name sent shivers down her spine. The god of darkness. The incarnation of chaos and night. Could Natsu really win against the power of that god?

"You haven't seen Natsu fight," Gray's voice cut into her fears, reminding her again that this was Natsu they were talking about. The same Natsu that defeated Jellal, a wizard saint, at the tower of heaven. The same Natsu that defeated Hades, formerly Precht, the second master of Fairy Tail, at Tenroujima. The same Natsu who destroyed the war god avatar with a single blow.

'Thanks Gray,' she whispered, too quietly for the ice mage to hear. She needed the reminder that no matter how dire circumstances seemed, she could always have faith in Natsu to pull through. Aloud she said, "That's right. Natsu's not gonna' lose to anyone. But we can kick your asses while we wait for him to catch up."

"Bold words, Titania of Fairy Tail," the short girl spoke again, half laughing at them. "But you don't know who you're dealing with. I'm Evedra, this is Aizon, Moras, and Jaira. You may think you're hot shit cause you somehow managed to take on our god slayer tribe, but we're the dual devil slayer clan. The strongest mages in Banshee's Wail. Well, aside from the master and Balfast." She smirked.

"Dual devil slayer, eh?" Erza cocked an eyebrow. Was that just some fancy title, or…?

"Yep, we all use two types of devil slayer magic," she said with a smirk. "I'm poison and steel."

"You talk way too much," Erza said with smirk. "Come on guys, let's get them."

Without waiting for confirmation, she charged at the girl who identified herself as Evedra. Predictably, the girl's first move was to attempt to trap her within a poison cloud. An attempt that failed utterly as she requipped to her heaven's wheel armor and used her swords to create a wind to blow the cloud away. The next attack was an enormous spike of earth that jutted out of the ground directly below her, almost catching her head on, but as the tip touched her foot she launched herself into a forward roll, coming up out of it closer to her target and bringing her into easy range.

"Dance, my blades!" Her swords began to move forward in a circle toward the devil slayer, who quickly cried out, "Rock Barrier!" A huge shield of rock appeared in front of her, effectively shattering Erza's blade attack, but crumbling to pieces as a result of absorbing the blow. Before the pieces started hitting the ground Erza requipped to her sea empress armor. Her long sword broke through the crumbling rubble, commanding a water blade to slice her enemy. Evedra was knocked back several paces, a gash appearing on her lower abdomen.

"I see. So they weren't exaggerating," Evedra said. "Then I will have to take this fight seriously." As she spoke a very dark green, almost black substance began to cover her right arm as well as the right side of her face. A similar substance, only dark purple, appeared on her left side. Soon her body was a mixture of purplish-black and greenish-black, meeting and swirling together in the middle.

"Devil's Rockslide!" Suddenly Erza was dodging for her life as enormous boulders began to rain down on her from the ceiling. Her body went into pure reaction mode, moving on its own without her thoughts to guide it. Right. Then left. Forward. Throw yourself to the right. Left, quickly!

To an outsider, her dance may have looked practiced – graceful even. But to her it felt awkward and uncontrolled. Instinct alone was keeping her alive amidst the hail of rocks. But somehow that instinct guided her closer to her opponent. Close enough to lash out with her long crystal sword. She felt the blade connect, piercing her opponent's arm. Then she winced as a boulder glanced off her shoulder – the price for landing the attack on her opponent.

Suddenly Evedra's magic turned very dark. "You've injured me twice now," the girl growled. "It's time to end this. Devil slayer's poisoned lungs!"

Suddenly Erza felt her body go rigid. An instant later ever inch of her body was eclipsed by the sensation of pain. She struggled, somehow managing to inch one of her limbs forward, but could do no more. The sensation reminded her of Cobra's poison, only worse. She knew without a doubt she would soon die if nothing were done.

"Not so tough now, are you Titania?" Evedra's voice, now with hollow demonic undertones, mocked her. "This poison acts quickly, but it still gives you 15 minutes to suffer before you die. So you can watch as we kill all your friends."

Erza writhed in pain as the poison continued to take effect, half choking with each breath. She was no stranger to pain, but this poison seemed to have a paralyzing effect as well. But she could overcome it. She had to overcome it for her friends. For her guild mates.

Her mind went to Natsu and the impossible feats he'd pulled. Not only had he completely defeated opponents who were way beyond him in terms of magic and strength, he'd emptied his body of magic in the middle of an attack just so he could fill it with a new kind of magic. _Just because it's supposed to be impossible doesn't mean I can't do it._

She tried again, and somehow her legs responded. Then her arms also as she ground out, "requip: clear heart armor!"

"Impossible," Evedra said, gaping at Erza. Erza managed a smirk, despite all the pain coursing through her through her body.

"Why is it called devil slaying magic?" She asked. "Have you ever used it to defeat a demon?"

"N-no…" Evedra's eyes were still wide, clearly unable to comprehend that Erza was able to move.

"Well I may not be a devil slayer, but I've defeated demons." Erza said, and charged. Her attack connected fully, and she watched in satisfaction as Evedra fell to the ground, not moving further. Then Erza collapsed, unable to fight the poison any longer.

"Erza!" Wendy was by her in an instant, and she felt the sky dragon slayer's magic working in her body. The pain began to disappear, and she felt her breathing get easier. Wendy sighed, falling to her knees next to Erza. "That was really hard to heal," she said, her voice sounding tired. "It took a lot of my magic."

"Thanks Wendy," Erza said with a smile. "You saved my life."

Wendy blushed and stuttered out an acknowledgement of Erza's thanks, and Erza turned her attention to the other battles. Gray was just finishing off his battle. Lucy, Leo, and Taurus were triple-teaming another one. Juvia was also just finishing her battle.

 _Well, looks like I pulled the short straw again,_ Erza thought. But really, she wouldn't have it any other way. With the poison gone, she was quickly ready to get up and head to the next room.

Looking around, she realized none of the mages had escaped unscathed from their fights. It appeared the dark guild was more powerful than they anticipated. And they hadn't even faced the master yet.

They headed down another staircase, spiraling down into another large room. When they got to the room, there was a single man standing in the center. He was at least 7 feet tall and wore a full set of armor, lacking only a helmet. His chiseled body was larger than Elfman's, and the sword he wielded was a good five feet in length.

"So, you made it this far," he said in a deep, booming voice. "I'm impressed. As always, it seems Fairy Tail is full of surprises."

Just then Erza felt an oppressive, dark magic from somewhere above them. The magic had incredible force, meaning the wielder was very powerful, and was likely employing a finishing move.

"Well, it looks like one of you wasn't so lucky," the tall man smirked at them. "But he must be pretty good. I've never seen Balfast go all out against an opponent before."

Suddenly another oppressive magic, this one hot and sweltering, filled the room. Like the last one, this was coming from above. There was a powerful explosion as two finishing spells collided, and then both auras faded.

Erza could only wonder what happened, and judging from the look of the giant in front of them he was having the same feeling. But suddenly Erza smirked. She didn't really need to wonder what happened. It was obvious. Natsu did what Natsu did best. Gave his opponent a beat down.

Apparently the giant in the middle of the room came to the same conclusion, because his aura suddenly turned furious. "Now I'm angry," he yelled in his deep, booming voice. "Prepare to die!" He stepped forward, bringing his enormous sword across in a sweeping motion so fast that the group barely had time to jump back and evade the attack.

At that moment, there was a cracking noise in the ceiling. The noise made the giant look up, and he quickly got a face full of boulders and melted rock. A slightly charred body came down with the rubble and lava from above, and last of all came Natsu, who landed gracefully on top of the heap that covered the giant.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.

Then he jumped off as the giant slowly toppled to the ground, apparently done in by one of the boulders that had fallen on his head.

"Well… That was anticlimactic," Erza said after a moment.

"But Natsu still knows how to make an entrance," Happy cheered.

"You can say that again," Gray said, rubbing the back of his head ruefully. "To be honest, I don't have much magic power left after that last battle."

"Juvia doesn't either," the water mage declared.

Erza chuckled. "I used up most of my magic power as well, when I got poisoned" she told them.

"And I used up most of mine healing her," Wendy added quietly.

"It drained me to have 2 spirits active at once for so long," Lucy said as her shoulders sagged tiredly.

"Long story short, we're all short on magic power." Carla snapped. "Now let's figure out who this is and how much longer till we can take out the guild master."

"Umm, I think this is the guild master," Wendy said quietly.

Everyon stopped and stared at her.

"What makes you think that Wendy?" Carla asked.

"Well," Wendy blushed under everyone's gazes. "There was a report about Banshee's Wail in the Sorcerer's 'Crime Watch' column. And the article mentioned that not much was known about the leader, except that he was really big…"

"You're right!" Lucy cried out suddenly. "I'd forgotten all about that!"

Erza looked at the downed guild master, then clicked some cuffs on him with a sigh. "I can't believe he was so weak."

"Well, he did kind of get taken by surprise," Gray smirked. "They really shouldn't have designed their guild in a way that allowed Natsu to drop the ceiling on him."

The friends shared a much needed laugh before gathering the cuffed prisoners together and letting the council know the dark guild was defeated. Then they all headed back home. Natsu to the palace, and the rest to Magnolia.

They all looked forward to doing it again soon.

* * *

**A/N

Alright, that took a while to write. Sorry about the ending of that chapter, but I felt a little evil after I realized that the guild layout would have Natsu fighting right above the guild master.

Anyway, with this out of the way, the next couple chapters will have many more Natsu/Hisui moments, for anyone who cares.

Ciao**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Fairy Tail. Or the characters. They all belong to Mashima. Standard disclaimer stuff.

Sorry it took so long to put this up. Also, sorry that it's a bit rough. I haven't had as much time to write these last few weeks, but I felt like I needed to get this out, so I didn't take the time to proofread and edit.

Anyway, here's chapter 7. Hope you like it. If you do, drop a review. If you don't and you have something constructive to say, drop a review.**

* * *

Natsu sighed as he approached the palace, giving little thought to the blue exceed walking by his side. He really missed the carefree days of living as nothing more than a wizard of Fairy Tail. Things were so simple then. Fight hard. Grow strong. Protect the ones you love.

And yet he was happy to be coming back to Hisui. She was as much a part of his family as anyone now. Well, legally and technically speaking she was more a part of his family than anyone. But resolved though he was to fulfill his vow to love her, he still wasn't sure how he felt about his wife. He had fun whenever they spent time together. He loved seeing the cute, childlike side of her that she could never allow to shine through in public. But did he love her like a man was supposed to love a woman he was married to? Natsu Dragneel had to admit he didn't know.

"Welcome home, Natsu." A smile crept across his features as she greeted him in the courtyard. Her regal composure couldn't prevent a small smile from gracing her delicate features, and he saw a little of that childlike spirit emerge in her eyes. He set his bag down and pulled her into an embrace.

"It's good to be back," he told her before pressing his lips gently against hers in a chaste kiss. Displaying affection toward the princess felt more natural than it had a few short weeks ago.

"So how was the job?" Hisui asked when he released her from the embrace.

"Meh," Natsu shrugged, leaning down to pick up his bag again. "The train really sucked, but the mages pretty much sucked. I only got to fight one guy who was even a challenge." It was really disappointing. When they were commissioned with taking out the supposed strongest dark guild he'd really expected them to put up more of a fight.

"Well, I wouldn't be happy if it was _too_ dangerous," Hisui's voice had a rare softness to it. She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. "I want my dragon prince back in one piece you know."

"But how am I supposed to get stronger if its not challenging?" Natsu groaned. He knew she was a princess, but shouldn't she at least know this much about magic?

"I've heard the stories of your past exploits, Natsu." Hisui looked worried as she searched his eyes. "I don't want my husband coming back with wounds that are too deep to heal. Or even worse, not coming back at all."

"Well, if you've heard about my past you should know I'm so awesome I'll always come back. Even after getting wiped out by a dragon's breath attack!" Natsu grinned at his wife, trying to reassure her that he would always come back. His confidence extended to any battle he might encounter. Well, any battle except one. And that one was inevitable.

"But what if you don't come back?" Hisui asked, her soft green eyes still full of worry. "What if one of these times you come up against an enemy you can't beat?"

Natsu laughed. "That's why I have a team," he said cheerfully. "Even if I can't do it alone, together we've always been able to finish whatever we started."

"I suppose your team is impressive," Hisui said, her eyes getting a thoughtful expression as she considered his words and his trust in his team. "But still, there's got to be something out there that you're afraid of."

Natsu froze, hoping she didn't know him well enough yet to see the faint sadness behind the confident smirk he flashed. "Only thing I'm afraid of are those disgusting flying fish we had to eat that one time." What he was most afraid of was the confrontation with Acnologia that was coming up. He didn't doubt his power. Never had. But whenever he thought of the dragon, all he could think of was that brilliant white light engulfing not only him but the entire island of Tenroujima, along with his guild.

"They were that bad, eh?" _Good. She bought it._ Natsu didn't know whether it was comforting or not to realize that his wife still didn't know him as well as his team, or even Mirajane or Elfman for that matter.

"Terrible," he said, forcing his mind away from Acnologia. He would just make sure the princess stayed on her birth control magic for another year or so. That would give him plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming battle. "They were so bad even Happy couldn't eat them."

"Happy refusing a fish?" Hisui asked, wide-eyed. "I don't believe it!"

"You've never tasted the winged fish!" Happy said, tears coming to his eyes at the memory. "I don't even think they were real fish. There's no way a fish could taste that bad!"

"Alright, enough about fish." Natsu smiled as he started walking again. "We've got to put our stuff away from our trip. And it would probably be good to shower before the meeting. When is that anyway?" he added, looking at Hisui.

"25 minutes," she said with a rare smirk. "Better hurry, my _prince_." She emphasized the last word with a smirk.

Natsu gulped. This was going to be his first meeting without the assistance of the King or Arcadios, and Hisui was already directed not to say anything either, though she would be there.

"You know, scratch what I said earlier." He said with his trademark grin. "There are two things I'm afraid of… fish and meetings."

"Aaaww, is poor widdle Natsu afraid of the big scary Alvarez delegates?" Hisui teased, ruffling his hair like he was a child as they walked. "Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you."

Natsu punched her lightly on the shoulder, a half-playful scowl darkening his face. "You know I hate it when you talk to me like that. If I can take out the guild master of a powerful dark guild without even trying, I'm pretty sure I can handle a couple bureaucrats from Alvarez."

"Well, then you have nothing to be afraid of." Hisui said with a smile as Happy stared at Natsu his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide.

"What's wrong Happy?" Natsu asked.

"You… said… bureaucrat…" Happy said, his words coming out slowly as though his mind was having trouble forming them.

"What of it?" Natsu asked, irritated by the exceed's strange behavior.

"Since when did you know any words longer than 6 letters?" Happy asked.

"Since a long time ago," Natsu glared. "I knew Acnologia."

"Doesn't count. That's a name, not a word."

"Whatever." Natsu arrived at the door to their room and flung it open. Throwing his bag next to the wardrobe, he hurriedly grabbed some clothes and a bath towel and headed into the shower room.

 **~~~The Meeting~~~**

"So, what does your highness think of the proposal?"

Natsu continued studying the map and the papers that were set before him for several long minutes before he looked up.

"I think everything looks good…" He paused, waiting till the ambassador opened his mouth before he narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you expected me to say when you presented this?" He just managed to cut himself off before 'bullshit.'

"Y-your highness?" The ambassador's face twisted into a look of genuine confusion and surprise. "Is there a problem with Alvarez's proposal?"

"Why don't we look at your proposal and decide that for ourselves, shall we?" Natsu asked, keeping his tone carefully neutral despite his irritation. He took a pen and tapped lightly on a line drawn in the ocean on the map. "This is your requested 'military operation zone.' Do you think that it's normal for a country to allow a recently conquered aggressor to perform military operations close enough for them to strike without warning? Or perhaps you are under the impression that the prince of Fiore is a buffoon?"

"Your highness," the ambassador sputtered, and Natsu could tell it was the latter. "There is no way a ship could reach Fiore from that position in less than a day…"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Natsu allowed a little of his anger to creep into his tone. Not as much as his old, careless self would be showing at this moment, but enough to let the ambassador know he was not pleased. "A normal ship would take a full day, yes. But a ship with magic-augmented speed? Well, with the power we've already seen from your nation you could be there in a matter of 2 hours."

Natsu then took his pen and traced a new line, two hundred miles closer to Alvarez than the original proposal. "This will be your border for military operations. If any military ship or aircraft crosses this border without Fiore's authorization, Fiore's military will have every right under this treaty to use any and all military force to neutralize the threat."

"Now for the second major problem. Your trade treaty looks good on the surface, but in section 13 of the trade treaty, subsection j, there exists a provision that "Alvarez will reserve the right to raise tariffs paid by Fiore merchants against all imports from Fiore should the current terms of this treaty prove detrimental to the economic well-being of the Alvarez Empire, with tariffs not to exceed 15% on all goods or moneys exchanged." Later, in section 15, subsection c, there exists a provision that "The Kingdom of Fiore will be bound by this treaty to levy a tariff of no more than 3% of the total value of any goods or moneys exchanged." Perhaps you can see how I might think this would not be advantageous to my people."

The ambassador was sweating bullets now, and Natsu sighed inwardly. This confirmed his suspicion that they'd prepared this treaty knowing he was to be presiding at this meeting. Clearly they believed him incapable of properly exercising his role as prince of Fiore. While it may be true that he could be dense sometimes, he wasn't exactly stupid.

"There are some other changes that I think should be made," he said, leaning forward a little and narrowing his eyes while carefully maintaining a neutral expression otherwise. "But we won't go into the details now. Because what you're going to do is go back to your country and revise this treaty proposal till it looks like Alvarez was the defeated party in this war and not the conqueror. I expect to see your revisions in two weeks time."

The ambassador glared at him from across the table, but there was nothing he could say about it, and he knew it. "Yes your highness," he said, his features twisted into an uncharacteristic scowl. Natsu smirked inwardly at the knowledge that the ambassador's failure made him break his composure to such an extent.

"Oh, one more thing," Natsu said off-handedly as the ambassador and his escorts rose. "If the terms you return with in two weeks are not agreeable to me and to my advisors, Fiore will require you to sign a treaty that _we_ draft. And I can assure you if that happens, your 'empire' will be on the losing end. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, your highness," the ambassador seethed.

"Good," Natsu said, smiling as he also rose. "Then I look forward to seeing your revised proposal." He dismissed the ambassador and his escorts with a curt nod.

After everyone was gone, Natsu and Hisui headed back to their bedroom to clean up before dinner. As soon as they were alone Hisui drummed up a stuffy suit voice and said, "And I can assure you if that happens, your 'empire' will be on the losing end. Do I make myself clear?"

"Oh, shut up…" Natsu said, punching her lightly on the shoulder.

"Who knew you had it in you?" The princess giggled. "I'll make a real prince out of you yet."

"I'm already a real prince," Natsu pouted. "That happened as soon as I married a princess."

"The title, maybe," Hisui said, and even though he knew she was intentionally pushing his buttons he couldn't help but growl a little at her response.

"Yeah, well I don't need to be all stuffy to be a real prince." He retorted. "I'll prove that you can be a prince and still have fun."

"I don't know, you sounded pretty stuffy to me…" Hisui's mouth twisted into a sly, teasing grin. "I almost fell asleep during that meeting."

"Alright… That's the last straw!" Natsu reached down to the princess's ribcage and started brushing his fingers softly and teasingly across her ribs.

"Natsu!" The princess tried to hold back the laughter that threatened to erupt as the dragon slayer tickled her. "Not in the halls…"

Natsu redoubled his efforts, and in moments Hisui lost control of her body, laughing and gasping for air as she collapsed. When Natsu finally relented, he looked up to see a guard gaping at them as he walked by.

Natsu smirked, narrowing his eyes to slits and allowing his magic to seep out with an ominous aura. "You didn't see anything," he told the guard.

"Absolutely not. I didn't see anything, your highness!" The guard squeaked as he turned and shuffled quickly away, terrified from the display.

Natsu grinned and returned his attention to Hisui, who was still catching her breath on the floor. "Come on princess," he smirked. "Get off your ass or we're gonna' be late for dinner."

She looked up at him with a cute little pout on her face, not saying a word. After several long moments he sighed. "You're lucky you're so damn cute," he said as he extended a hand to her. She quickly caught it and pulled herself to her feet. "Now let's go."

Fifteen minutes later they were all cleaned up and sitting in the royal dining room. The king, Arcadios, and the defense minister were also there. And Toma was the first to speak.

"That was a fine job you did there, Natsu," Toma said with a smile. "But I must admit that I'm surprised. I didn't think you would handle things that well."

Natsu just grinned. Not his wide, toothy grin that he'd always used for the guild, but a more reserved grin that seemed more appropriate to the current atmosphere. "I had help, your majesty."

"But even with help," Arcadios said, his eyes betraying a hint of guilt. "I must confess that I didn't believe you were able to properly evaluate the treaty conditions, let alone handle the meeting as well as you did."

Natsu smiled before responding, "I can't really blame you. Six months ago I wouldn't have believed it either. But I kinda' figured out that everything in politics is like a good fight. Only instead of magic and fists, you're using words and pens. So just like I have to be able to read my opponent in a fight, I have to be able to see what my opponent is doing in treaty proposals or meetings. And I have to figure out a way to counter."

"Plus," he added, "their deception wasn't very subtle. I think they were counting on me not being able to see anything beyond face value."

"Indeed, it seems they underestimated my Natsu," Hisui said with a small smile.

"People seem to make a habit of that," Natsu said with a smirk.

"Indeed they do." Toma said, looking thoughtful. Defense Minister Darton just scowled. Despite everything that happened, he clearly wouldn't accept Natsu as prince still.

The rest of the conversation was pretty boring, at least until Happy joined them from his own special feast.

"Oh Natsuuuu." He groaned, his eyes rolling up in his head. "The fish here are soooo good."

"That's great buddy," Natsu said, laughing inwardly at the exceed's exuberance. Happy said the same thing after every supper… and breakfast and lunch for that matter. Despite living in the castle for months now, he still raved about how delicious the fish were. And of course, next he would say…

"We need to invite Carla to live here."

Yep. There it was. "We will, buddy. Maybe Wendy can move here too. She is sort of my surrogate sister, after all," he grinned.

"Aye!" Happy cheered. "When Carla tastes the fish here, she'll love me for all eternity!"

Hisui giggled. Toma laughed. Even Arcadios couldn't help cracking a smile at the exceed's antics. The defense minister just scowled.

Natsu sighed. It was clear from the beginning he would have an uphill battle with this one, but he was even more stubborn that the dragon slayer originally believed to be possible.

Oh well, he could always hire a new defense minister. Yeah. That sounded like a good solution. A new defense minister. Yeah. That would solve all his problems! Natsu internally fist pumped at his ingenuity.

Dinner was over before he knew it. Soon he was heading back to the bedroom with Hisui. The walk was quiet. Hisui was subdued, and Natsu was thinking about the mission with his friends from the guild. Now that he was in the palace, he really missed the time he spent out on adventures with his friends from his guild. But when he was out there, he missed spending time with Hisui. But why did he miss spending time with Hisui? Most of the time they were doing formal, rigid stuff that he hated.

"Natsu?" Hisui's voice broke his thoughts as they entered the room. "How do you feel about me?"

Natsu blinked, surprised by the bluntness of the question. How did he feel about her? He still couldn't answer her fully. He decided to at least try to put some of his thoughts into words. "Well, to start with, you're really an amazing person. I mean, you act just like a princess should, but you've got this really cool side to your personality too. You know how to have fun when we're alone. You're definitely beautiful, not to mention sexy. And you always do what you think is best for Fiore."

Hisui smiled, but there was a searching look in her eyes as she met his gaze. "Well, thanks for that Natsu, but you haven't really answered my question."

Natsu sighed, debating whether to try to talk his way out of this or tell her the truth. He finally opted for the second choice. "Well, to be honest I don't fully know yet, Hisui. I'm married to you, and I made a promise to love you. You should know I fully intend to keep that promise, but to be honest I don't know if I feel that way toward you yet. I really do like you a lot. At least as much as Erza, Mira, Gray, and Lucy, and even as much as Happy. And you're really attractive. But I don't really know how I feel fully yet."

The princess sighed and looked down. "I suppose I can't expect anymore, Natsu." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Natsu moved forward on instinct, wrapping one arm around his wife as the other tilted her chin up so she could see his eyes. "I'm sorry that I can't say the words you want to hear right now, Hisui. But I made a vow to you on our wedding day that I would love you, and it's a vow that I intend to keep. I don't want to try to force it. And I sure as hell won't lie about it. But I know that it will come, and in the meantime I'll treat you the way a man should treat his wife. And you also know I'll never lie to you, Hisui. So when I do tell you that I have feelings, it'll be for real."

A solitary tear slipped down her cheeks as she returned his embrace. Natsu cringed, inwardly. There were few things that he hated more than seeing the people that he loved cry. And Hisui was one of those people. He desperately wanted to be able to say the words that she wanted to hear, but he knew that he couldn't yet.

"I love you, Natsu Dragneel," she whispered as she clung to him. "And I'll wait as long as it takes for you to be able to answer my feelings…"

Then, to his surprise, she took a step back and slipped out of her royal attire, then continued to shed the silky green panties and bra that covered her private areas. Then she grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the shower with a seductive wink. "If you can't return my feelings just yet, the least you can do is perform your husbandly duties."

The sudden change surprised Natsu. But he caught a slight tremor in her voice and realized this wasn't a sudden change. It was a distraction for her. Something to take her mind off the more pressing topic of love. And despite the sorrow he still felt at being unable to return her feelings at the moment, he was more than willing to go along with her. After all, it was the least he could do.

Ah fuck, who was he kidding? He would enjoy every fucking moment of it.


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. Those belong to Hiro Mashima.

So here's chapter 8 of Fiery Jade. I'm thinking this won't go much more than 12 chapters total, so we're getting to the end of this one. I'm going to try to update "The Size of His Heart" next since I haven't updated that one for a long time, and it's also getting close to the end.

I'll also be writing a "Natsu gets sent back in time" story after I finish at least 2 of my current stories. That story was a request from Natsu2105.

The last story I have planned, once I finish up all besides the lengthy, ongoing stories, is a NatsuxIrene story, but that's still a ways in the future. I need to finish at least one or two of the stories I have going right now before then.

Thanks for the reviews and suggestions. Happy reading! Don't forget to drop a review if you like!**

* * *

Wendy sighed, resting her head in her hands as she sat at the empty table. After Natsu first left to live at the palace, the others had done their best to fill the void left by her surrogate big brother's absence. But after a couple weeks, things were back to normal. Well, with a few exceptions.

The first major exception was that Team Natsu was disbanded. Other than the one quest they'd been able to go on with Natsu, the wizards that formerly made up Team Natsu had either formed new teams or, in Erza's case, gone back to solo jobs. Gray, Juvia, Lucy, and Cana formed a team. Mirajane, Lisanna, and Elfman had also formed a team, and it was without doubt one of the strongest in Fiore. The Raijinshuu continued to form their own team in support of Laxus, who didn't really need any support but accepted it anyway.

So most days Wendy was alone with Carla. There was small talk between her and other members, but her usual smile and timid manner seemed to prevent people from realizing that she was beginning to feel lonely. Funny how you could feel lonely in such a large guild…

But then, Natsu Dragneel, the reason she was in the guild in the first place, and the reason she came back from Lamia, was gone. She knew he didn't have a choice in the matter, but she couldn't help feeling a little abandoned.

So today was another normal day for Wendy, sitting alone at her table. Well, not quite alone. Carla, her best friend and possibly the only one who could actually see that she was still suffering from the pink-haired dragon slayer's absence.

"I know you miss him child, but you have to move on with your life sometime." Carla was saying. "Any team in the guild would be glad to have you join."

"I know," Wendy said with a smile. "But it's hard. I just don't feel as confident as I did when I knew Natsu-nii would always be there for me… And I honestly don't really want to join any of the other teams. I wouldn't mind going with Erza-san, but she prefers to go alone."

Wendy was pretty sure that Erza's reversion to taking jobs as a solo mage was also a result of Natsu's departure. From the time she spent with the guild, Wendy saw that the pink-haired boy had been instrumental in Erza's ability to become more open with her teammates. And his departure hit the scarlet-haired mage hard, though you almost couldn't tell. Wendy could, because as somebody else who was deeply affected by her big brother's absence she felt many of the same things and hid them under the pretense of her regular cheerful, but timid, demeanor. The knight was much the same, returning to her disciplinarian methods and distancing herself from the rest of the guild again. She would only check in between jobs to see if they heard anything from Natsu yet.

"We're back!" Lucy's voice interrupted Wendy's thoughts as Team Gray came in through the doors (A/N Yes, I just did that).

"That's right," the ice mage's voice echoed through the door. "Fairy Tail's most awesome team has returned!"

"Oh please," Romeo spoke up, voicing what Wendy and most of the rest of the guild would only dare think at this juncture. "Just because you _used_ to be part of the most awesome team doesn't mean your new team is just as awesome. We all know Team Strauss is the current most awesome team in Fairy Tail."

"Pff – Team Gray is way cooler than Team Natsu ever was," Gray said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to announce my _successful_ mission to Kinana."

"Maybe you should put some clothes on first," Macao commented.

"Gah!" Gray instantly started looking for his clothes while the rest of the team went to talk to Kinana about the job request. Wendy sighed as she looked down at her table. Gray was another reason she didn't talk to most of the former Team Natsu much. Even though she knew the ice mage was dealing with the fire mage's absence in his own way, she didn't really like the way he constantly had to try to make up for Natsu's absence by trying (and failing) to be more like the dragon slayer.

"Wendy," Wendy looked up to see Porlyusica calling to her from the infirmary. "Can you come here? I could use your help."

"Coming, Porlyusica-san." Wendy smiled a little as she got up. Even though Porlyusica was still as grumpy as ever, she enjoyed the times she would call her back to help with injured guild members. Mostly because it made her feel really useful, a feeling she didn't get much now that she wasn't out on missions with Team Natsu anymore. She came back to the infirmary, with Carla right behind her, to find Jet and Droy, both badly beaten. Gajeel was nearby, looking in bad shape for the dragon slayer, though not nearly as bad as Jet and Droy. Levy was also there, and she was the least injured of the group.

"What happened?" Wendy asked, staring at the group with wide eyes.

"Jet and Droy tailed Levy and Gajeel on an S-class mission again," Porlyusica replied with a sigh. "They're still obsessed with proving their strong enough to be part of Team Shadow Gear. And it appears the dark mages Gajeel and Levy were fighting discovered they were there and decided to use it against them."

Wendy sighed as she set about healing Droy, who seemed to have gotten the worst of it, first. He had several internal injuries that could've been life threatening if they'd gone untreated much longer. Jet wasn't in much better shape.

She was just finishing healing Jet when her sharp dragon ears caught her name, and she tuned in quickly.

"Tell him thank you for his offer, but I'm sure Wendy would rather stay right here with Fairy Tail." Gray's voice.

"I'd rather hear it from Wendy herself," an unknown male voice said firmly. "She would still be part of the guild if she wanted to anyway."

"Wendy's busy right now, but I can tell you she doesn't want to leave her family." Gray answered. "That's your answer."

Wendy was curious. Who was this man and what exactly was he offering that he apparently thought would entice her away from Fairy Tail? There was only one thing that might sway her to move away from the guild she'd come to call home…

"If Wendy is unavailable, I will wait till she returns." The unfamiliar voice spoke again.

"I told you there's no need for that. You can go back and tell his high and mightiness that Wendy would rather stay right here with her family. And he of all people should know that."

"I'm sorry, but the prince specifically instructed me to come back with an answer directly from Wendy. I have no desire to disobey the prince by returning without speaking to the girl directly."

The prince? Did this mean the conversation had something to do with Natsu-nii? Wendy's heart fluttered as she finished healing Gajeel's injuries. "Excuse me, Porlyusica-san, but I have to go." She turned and headed out of the infirmary toward the bar. She saw Gray, actually clothed for once, talking to two men in the rune knight uniform. She offered them a smile as she approached. "Hello, Gray-san, is there a problem?"

"No," Gray said, glaring at the knights. "These two were just leaving."

The knights ignored him, turning to Wendy. The one on her right spoke, his voice identifying him as the same one who was speaking to Gray earlier. "Ah. You must be miss Wendy. I have a message or you from Prince Natsu Dragneel."

"Natsu-nii?" Wendy couldn't hold back her excitement. "What did he say?"

"The prince invites you and Carla to come live at the palace with the royal family. If you accept his offer, you will remain a part of Fairy Tail and will be free to come and go as you choose, but the Palace will become your home and you will be given a room close to the Prince and the Princess. The conditions, which the prince requested that I inform you are not his idea, are that you sign this paper officially making the prince your guardian. Of course, should you accept, you will also be granted a certain allowance from the Royal treasuries, not to exceed 500,000 jewels a month up to your 18th birthday."

He then turned to Carla. "I was also instructed by the prince's talking cat to bring you this." He opened his bag and pulled out a fresh-looking fish nearly 3 feet long.

"I keep telling that he-cat I don't want fish!" Carla exclaimed in annoyance as everyone around burst out laughing. Despite her annoyed tone, the white exceed's cheeks were tinted pink.

"I…" Wendy looked around, lost for words. She'd wished many times as she lay alone in Fairy Hills that she could be with her big brother again, but now that the opportunity was presented to her she didn't know what to say. This was the only family she had after all, well, minus Natsu-nii, of course. But could she really just pack up and go live in the palace? Was being with Natsu-nii important enough to leave the rest of the guild behind?

"Wendy, don't tell me you're actually considering this ridiculous invitation," Gray said in an irritated manner from the bar.

Wendy blushed and tried to stutter out a response, unable to answer the question since she hadn't made a decision yet. But she knew despite her efforts, nothing coherent came out.

"If Wendy is considering the invitation, that's none of your concern." Thank the gods for Carla. Other people might've been embarrassed to always have the exceed looking out for them, but Wendy was grateful to Carla. She couldn't count the number of times the white exceed said something that she didn't have the courage to tell people.

"But you can't go live at the palace," Gray said, slamming his beer down on the bar. "Your family is here!"

"Natsu-nii is family too…" She muttered, knowing that of everything she said Natsu's name was probably the only thing anyone else could hear.

"Going off to pursue your crush little girl?" This came from Katya, a fairly new addition to Fairy Tail. "In case you've forgotten, he's married. And I'm pretty sure the princess won't be too willing to share him."

Wendy felt her hands ball up into fists at her side as tears came to her eyes. She didn't see Natsu-nii like that. Maybe she did once, but now he was just a brother. Someone to look up to. To share life with as a sibling.

"I don't like how she said it, but Katya's right you know," Gray said with a slight frown.

"I know I can't be Natsu-nii's mate!" Wendy didn't know how her voice escaped or where it found the power to come out so loud and firm. "I just want to be his little sister! Just let me think, everyone!"

"Think all you want, but remember we need you here at Fairy Tail. Natsu has all the guards and mages he'll ever need at the palace. He doesn't need you there."

Wendy looked down at the ground. He was right. Natsu-nii probably wouldn't even notice her if she lived at the palace. He would be too busy with his princess and his duties as prince. He was a prince now. Why would a prince want someone as weak and timid as her as a sister?

"If Natsu didn't want her there, why would he invite her to come?" Carla's voice snapped Wendy's mind back to reality, and she started thinking about it. Natsu had showed a lot of interest in her over the past few months, making sure to keep in regular contact despite his busy life.

"He probably just pities her," Katya's voice again. Wendy really didn't like the black-haired girl. From the time she first came to the guild, she seemed to have some kind of vendetta against Wendy. "He feels sorry for her because he know she's a weakling who will never make a real contribution to the guild."

Wendy felt tears come to her eyes unbidden, even as she heard Lucy reprimand Katya for her statement. But with the tears came her anger, and a firm resolve. She picked up her head, her voice once again finding strength to make itself heard despite opposition.

"If you guys needed me so much, why is it that none of you even make time to talk to me most of the time?" Her mind went to her top drawer in Fairy Hills, already filled with handwritten letters. "Natsu-nii takes the time to talk to me every night," she said, a small smile coming to her face at the thought and her mood calming almost instantly. "I have an entire drawer filled with letters he's written to me over the past few months about life in the castle. Even though he's far away, he's still thinking about me every day. I think…" She felt tears come to her eyes again as she spoke the words. "I think Natsu-nii somehow knew I would be lonely, and that's why he sent so many letters."

Wendy's smile widened. Her guildmates just gave her some great reasons to follow what her heart was telling her. "But I need to thank you, both Gray-san and Katya-san. You made me realize there's no need for me to feel guilty about what I'm going to choose."

Gray smiled, completely misinterpreting her statement. "That's right Wendy, you know fire prick will understand."

Wendy turned to the rune knights, ignoring Gray's comment. "Please tell Natsu-nii I would be happy to live in the palace with him. I'll leave on the first train tomorrow. I would just like today to say goodbye to my other friends at the guild and pack up my things." She quickly took the legal document brought by the rune knights and signed it with the quill at the bar.

"His highness will be most pleased," the rune knight replied with a smile. He then turned and headed out of the guild, closely followed by his partner.

Wendy realized everyone at the guild was staring at her. She tried to shrink into the bar as her old timid self returned.

"I'm surprised at you Wendy," Gray said. "Just leaving like this after everything we've done for you."

"I-I'm still part of Fairy Tail," Wendy muttered, staring at the ground.

"Speak up Wendy," Katya said. "We can't hear you when you mumble like a little bitch."

"She said she's still part of Fairy Tail and she'll still come and see you all frequently," Carla said, her face as stern as ever. She started heading for the door. "I'm gonna' get a head start on packing, Wendy." She said. "And don't worry about everyone else. They're just jealous."

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous of someone going to live in the castle with that flame-brained prick?" Gray's question fell on deaf ears as Carla calmly headed out the doors to the guild.

"What's this about going to live with the future king, who I'm certain I couldn't have just heard someone refer to as a 'flame brained prick?'" A stern female voice caused Wendy to smile again, but Gray just shivered in fear.

"Oh Erza, when did you get back?" Gray asked, a tense smile on his face.

"Just now, and you're lucky my mission went so well or I would have to punish you right now." Erza replied, looking around the guild. "Now I haven't heard an answer to my question yet."

"Natsu-nii offered to let me live in the castle with him, Erza-san." Wendy answered the red-haired mage. "So Carla and I are going to pack today."

"I see," a slight shadow passed over Erza's face, but she smiled at the blue-haired dragon slayer. "We'll miss you at the guild, Wendy."

Wendy returned the smile. "I'll miss you all too. Especially you, Erza." During the short time between her jobs, Erza surprised Wendy by seeing through her smiling and nonchalance and talking to her a lot about her loneliness for her big brother figure. Because of this, Erza also knew that Wendy received a letter from Natsu and wrote one back on an almost daily basis.

Erza gave the girl a hug, remembering to requip to a softer outfit than her armor this time. Wendy returned the hug, shedding a few tears as she held the older girl for a few mintues. "I will miss living here at the guild," she said quietly. "But not as much as I miss Natsu-nii…"

"I understand, Wendy." Erza smiled at the girl as she released her from the hug. "And don't let the others make you feel bad about this. Many of them would jump at the chance to live in the palace if it were offered. Just promise to come by and visit sometimes ok?"

Wendy giggled a little. "Only if you'll come visit me at the palace." She replied. "Natsu-nii told me in his letters he was a little sad that nobody ever came to visit."

"But it's the palace," Erza said, her eyes shining a little at the thought. "It doesn't feel right to just casually visit a palace…"

"You're Erza Scarlet. I'm sure you'll figure it out," she replied with a grin.

"Alright," Erza said. "But when I come I'll probably drag at least a couple others with me."

"I think Natsu-nii would like that. He does miss life at the guild, you know."

"I don't doubt it. Take care, Wendy."

"You too, Erza-san."

Wendy went on to say a brief farewell to all the other members of the guild, even the ones she didn't get along with that well. Namely Katya. When she was done saying her goodbyes, she headed off to Fairy Hills to help Carla pack. They didn't really need the whole day to pack up their belongings, but they'd agreed to spend one more night enjoying Magnolia before Crocus became their new home.

 **~~~The next day at the palace~~~**

When Wendy and Carla stepped off the train in Crocus there were two familiar people – and one familiar blue exceed – waiting for their arrival. Wendy quickly dropped into a curtsy. "Your highness," she said, addressing Hisui.

"Call me Hisui," she said with a giggle. "There's no need for such formalities."

"But… you're the princess!" Wendy stuttered, unable to believe the princess was so casual with her.

"So are you," Hisui replied, starting to giggle again. "You just signed a document making the crown prince your official guardian. That makes you a princess, _your highness,_ " she added, giving a little curtsey of her own.

Wendy turned crimson at seeing the princess curtsey to her and call her 'your highness.' She couldn't even think, her heart was pounding so hard. She might even be forgetting to breathe…

"Don't tease her, Hisui." Natsu-nii's voice broke in, snapping Wendy back to reality.

"NATSU-NII!" She tackled him in a hug, much the same way she had when she'd done that first mission with him against the Oracion Seis. "I missed you Natsu-nii!"

"I missed you too, Wendy." Natsu said, ruffling her hair a bit with one hand while the other hugged her back. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"Of course I came!" She said, releasing Natsu from her hug and getting up slowly. "I always want to be with my big brother."

Natsu chuckled as he got to his feet as well. "Well I'm still glad you came, and you too Carla." He glanced over to the white exceed, who was currently busy fending off a certain blue exceed's amorous advances. "I wasn't sure if you'd accept my offer."

Wendy smiled at Natsu. "It wasn't an easy decision for my mind, but it was for my heart."

Natsu chuckled again and ruffled her hair. "Well, Hisui is right about one thing. You are a princess now, and while Hisui and I aren't big on the whole formality stuff, the guards at the palace act like their lives depend on it. So you better get used to being called 'your highness' and treated like royalty."

Wendy blushed again, unable to imagine being addressed in such a manner or having people bow or curtsey just because of her presence.

"It takes a while to get used to," Natsu-nii's voice whispered in her ear. "But believe me, you'll eventually become accustomed to it."

"Thanks Natsu-nii… Thanks your high—Hisui nee-chan."

The princess looked surprised at her new choice of honorific, but accepted it gracefully with a bow. "Don't mention it Wendy. We're happy to have you at the palace."

As the trio, plus 2 exceeds, left the train station, they were flanked by a platoon of rune knights.

"Guys, I keep telling you this escort isn't necessary," Natsu-nii said, sounding annoying.

"I'm sorry your highness, but if we didn't escort you and the princess Arcadios would have our heads." The tall man in the front, presumably the platoon leader, answered without turning his head.

"Pfff. The old man should know by now I can take care of myself," Natsu-nii muttered.

Wendy couldn't help giggling. She'd only been back with Natsu-nii for a few moments, and already she felt more confident and carefree than she had in months. _I guess I didn't even realize how much I missed him…_

Even though she'd been there before, Wendy couldn't help but be impressed by the size of the castle gates. As they approached the doors, the rune knights guarding bowed before them. Wendy blushed, even though she was in the company of Natsu-nii and the princess. It still felt weird having people bow when she walked by.

They continued down a long stone corridor and eventually came to a staircase. They went up the stairs to the second floor, and soon stopped in front of a room.

"This is your room, Wendy," Natsu-nii said with a smile. He opened the doors and had the rune knights who were carrying her luggage deposit it inside the room.

Wendy stepped inside and immediately gasped. The bedroom itself was easily as big as Lucy's entire apartment. In one corner was a king-sized bed with an ornate marble headboard that had a reasonable facsimile of Grandeeny carved into it. The footboard was also marble, and was unadorned save for a large Fairy Tail symbol centered on it. There was also a dresser next to the bed, as well as a wardrobe close to the other side. There was a desk in one corner with a chair next to it, and a few bookshelves on the wall opposite the bed. On the far side of the room from the bed, a door opened into a large bathroom with a tiled shower, a huge vanity that had plenty of space for all her toiletries, and of course the toilet area.

The rune knights left as soon as they set her luggage down, and Wendy continued to stare around the room. "It's amazing!" She said, her eyes as wide as saucers. The ceilings were so high too. She couldn't believe she was actually going to be living here!

"I'm glad you like it," Natsu said in a warm voice. He then turned to Carla. "Carla, if you like you can stay in this room with Wendy, or you can take the room next door to hers."

"Or you can stay in my room!" Happy volunteered. "I saved some fish from our breakfast for you!"

Carla harrumphed, but her cheeks were dusted a faint pink. "Get rid of the leftover fish and I might consider it…"

Wendy's mouth dropped open. She knew the exceed secretly was attracted to Happy, but she was certain she'd never do anything that would so much as hint of that attraction to anyone else. She heard Natsu chuckle next to her as Happy raced to his room. "I'm getting rid of the fish now!" He yelled.

"So Happy doesn't stay with you anymore?" Wendy asked Natsu, looking up at him.

Natsu's cheeks turned red and he stammered. "It… It would be a little awkward for us…"

Hisui giggled as Wendy put a hand over her mouth, realizing how silly the question had been. "Oh, I'm sorry Natsu-nii!" She said, her cheeks turning bright red.

"No need to apologize Wendy," Natsu replied, his grin returning to his face. "Why don't you go ahead and get unpacked. As soon as you're done we can go to lunch."

It didn't take long for Wendy to unpack her humble belongings, and soon they were at the dining hall. She was formally introduced to King Toma and Arcadios, who both happened to be there as well. There was also someone named Darton there who didn't seem to think very highly of her big brother, which caused her to develop an instant dislike for him. Natsu seemed to shrug his comments off, though, so Wendy figured it must not be a problem.

After the lunch, which was one of the most amazing meals she'd ever eaten, Natsu and Hisui had to go to some kind of commerce meeting, leaving Wendy to explore the castle with Carla and Happy.

"Wow, this place is amazing," Wendy said as they walked through an enormous courtyard. Large green shrubs lined the path through the courtyard, while behind them large trees with pink, red, and white flowers blossomed majestically. In the center of the courtyard was an enormous stone fountain, cut out of a rock that was darker than obsidian and shinier than onyx. The fountain was in the shape of the legendary creature Kraken, or Leviathan as some called it, and its tentacles wrapped around the 15 foot circumference bowl that was spilling over into the drainage system below.

"Yeah," Happy said with a grin. "But it's so much better now that you guys are here! Before whenever Natsu and Hisui were in a meeting, I was pretty much by myself…"

"Sorry to hear that. I can only imagine what it must've been like to be alone with yourself for that long, since I know you're not the best company," Carla said with a bit of a smirk.

"Hey!" Happy said. "The company wasn't the problem. They wouldn't give me any fish between meals." He cried.

Then his face returned to a big grin. "Which is why I started sneaking some extras in my pack. Nobody noticed it, and it was easy to do since they'll always bring as much fish as I want while I'm eating regular meals."

Wendy smiled, content to listen to the exceeds tease each other. She didn't mind the little jabs they threw at each other because she knew it was their way of communicating. She couldn't help wonder how the meeting was going with Natsu…

They'd been strolling for about an hour before they came back to the area they started from. Apparently the meeting was over, because Wendy could hear Natsu and Hisui approaching them.

"You're getting really good at these meetings, 'your highness.'" Hisui was saying with a giggle. "I think you're actually starting to enjoy yourself."

"There's no way I could enjoy those stuffy meetings." Wendy was surprised at the restraint in the dragon slayer's voice. When he left Fairy Tail, his retort would've been boisterous and over the top, probably alerting half the guards in the palace to the fact that his wife was teasing him.

"Oh really? Because I'm pretty sure half the table fell asleep while you were monologuing about the blocking of free trade routes by Alfingham."

"Oh, you're so gonna' get it now."

"Now, now dragon boy – save it for tonight. You wouldn't want a guard to catch us in the hallway would you?"

"Maybe I would…" Natsu's voice turned sultry and there was a surprised yelp and a soft moan.

Wendy's face turned bright red and she squeaked in embarrassment. She quickly turned to slip away, noticing Happy and Carla already split, but was stopped by the princess's giggle behind her.

"Natsu-kun, you're embarrassing your little sister," Hisui said with a smile.

"Sorry Wendy," Natsu had a cheeky grin on his face. "Didn't mean for you to hear that. I thought you were out exploring the castle."

"We were," Wendy said, still blushing. "But we just came back here, and I heard you coming…"

"Well why don't we take you to some of our favorite places in the castle?" Natsu asked after sharing a glance with Hisui. "We've got some time."

"Wouldn't you rather go to your room?..." Wendy asked as her blush deepened.

Both of them laughed, and it was Natsu who answered. "No way, we've got another meeting in an hour. If we're in our room, there's a good chance our activities would make us late."

"Oh…" Wendy blushed deeper as Hisui smacked Natsu on the arm.

"Behave yourself," she told her husband. "The girl's 14…"

"Ok, ok. So where do we go first, your highness?"

Hisui smacked him on the arm again. "I told you before you'd better not call me that."

"But you do it to me…." Natsu whined. "I don't see why you get to do it and I can't."

"Because I'm prettier." She stuck her tongue out.

"…Can't really argue with that," Natsu pouted.

Wendy quickly found herself laughing again. Even as the prince of the realm, Natsu managed to bring out the child in everyone around him. It was one of his most endearing qualities. Humming quietly to herself as she strolled through the palace with Natsu and Hisui, Wendy knew she made the right choice in coming to the castle.

 **~~~Time skip: 5 months later~~~**

"Natsu, come on! We'll be late for the train!" Wendy called from the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Natsu called out. Hisui smiled at her husband, knowing he'd been looking forward to another opportunity to test his magic in battle. She felt like they'd grown very close over the time they'd been married, and she was pretty certain that Natsu's love for her had developed into the husband-wife love.

Which was why she had decided a few months ago that she was going to do her best to give him an extra reason to think about her while he was off on her mission. And oh, had she done it.

With a soft smile, she pulled him close and whispered in his ear. "I thought you should know… I've been off my birth control for 3 months now… and my period is 3 weeks late."

She could practically see his brain working as he digested the information. His expression going from confusion, slowly to piecing things together. Then…

"No!" He stared at her, his hands gripping her arms tightly as his face twisted into shock and horror. "That can't happen yet! I'm not ready yet!"

Tears flooded her eyes as she jerked herself away from his grasp. How could he be so cruel and insensitive? She thought he would be happy to discover he was going to be a father. But even if he wasn't, did he have to react so badly to it? She slapped him hard across the face before turning and running down the hall. "Maybe I made a mistake marrying you!" She called out, not knowing or caring at the moment if he heard.

She barely held her tears back till she got to the bedroom, racing inside and letting the door slam behind her. Then she threw herself on the bed and wept.


	9. Chapter 9

**Me no own Fairy Tail. Hiro own Fairy Tail. Me just write story.

A/R (Author Rant)

Ok. So is it just me or is Fairy Tail getting really predictable? I'm almost ready to stop reading the manga till the last chapter comes out so I can pick and choose what I read. I admit Mira last week was pretty badass, but this week felt like nothing more than filler content. I mean... Nothing of any actual significance happened.

Anyway, here's this story. Read and Review as always!**

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"Natsu, I know you well enough to know that you didn't mean that the way the princess thinks you did," Wendy said quietly. "But whatever is going on, you need to talk to Hisui about it."

Natsu sighed, looking miserably at the ground. "I can't Wendy. I gave someone my word that I wouldn't say anything to her…"

"But isn't this more important than that?" Wendy said, irritated at her surrogate older brother. "Hisui's really angry at you right now. And if it's allowed to stay this way… She could end up hating you."

"If I'm still around to hate," Natsu muttered quietly, his eyes still on the ground.

Wendy stopped, her eyes instantly snapping to the older dragon slayer. "What was that, Natsu-nii?"

Natsu forced a smile. "It was nothing Wendy. Forget I said anything."

"How can I forget you said it?" Wendy hissed at him, careful not to attract the attention of the guards that were escorting them at a respectful distance. "What did you mean by that?"

"It's nothing," Natsu said. "I can't tell you about it anyway, so please just let it go."

"I can't do that Natsu-nii," Wendy said, tears starting to form in her eyes. "The thought of you being gone forever…"

"Don't cry Wendy," Natsu sighed. "You should just forget I said anything. In all likelihood I'll still be around for a long time, and the princess can decide whether she hates me after the child is born."

"I can't forget what I heard Natsu! I want to help you! Just tell me what's going on…"

"No more talking right now. We're there."

Wendy looked up to see the rest of team Natsu gathered at the train station. They'd all come off the train to meet them, including a new member that had come along. Wendy gasped as she recognized the black-haired girl.

"Katya? What the _fuck_ are you doing here?"

Natsu cringed noticeably at Wendy's choice of words. "Ummm, Wendy? That seems a little… extreme coming from you."

"Wendy," Erza's tone was disapproving. "Katya wanted to accompany us on this mission. She thought it would be a good chance to try out for our team and to meet Prince Natsu. She's shown herself to be capable in combat, so I don't see why she shouldn't join us."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, _your highness._ " Wendy was sure she could hear a hint of sarcasm in the other girl's tone.

If so, Natsu was oblivious to it. "You also, Katya." He said, inclining his head respectfully. "How long have you been a member of Fairy Tail? An why do you smell familiar? Have we met somewhere before?"

"I'm pretty sure we've never met." Katya replied with a smile. "Maybe I just 'smell' like someone you know. Oh, and I joined about six months ago. Ever since I got there I kept hearing your name, so when I found out your old team was going on a mission with you I just had to meet you and see what all the commotion was about."

"Oh," Natsu grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "I had no idea they talked about me that much."

"Don't flatter yourself, flame brain-*OOF*-your highness," Gray spoke up, correcting his manner of addressing the prince after receiving a sharp elbow in the ribs from Erza. "They mostly talk about how destructive and obnoxious you were."

"Oh, now that's not true." Katya said flirtatiously. "I don't know about the guys, but all the girls talked about how amazingly gorgeous your body was and how much you cared about all your friends. And I can see you at least live up to the first part of your reputation."

"Natsu-nii," Wendy said quietly so only Natsu could hear her. "Please ask them to send Katya back…"

"Why?" Natsu responded quietly, with surprise.

"She always treated me horribly at the guild," Wendy said quietly, her mind going back to the day that she left. "Ever since the first day she got there, it was like she hated me no matter how much I tried to be nice to her."

"I don't know Wendy…" Natsu was interrupted when Katya approached them.

"It's great to see you again Wendy," she said enthusiastically. "You know we've really missed you at the guild."

"Umm… thanks…" Wendy stuttered, burying her face in Natsu's shoulder to hide the fact that she wanted to cry. The girl was doing this on purpose, to make her look foolish to her nii-san.

"If it makes you feel better, you can sit next to me on the train," Natsu whispered as he pulled his hood over his head.

It didn't make her feel much better. She still didn't trust Katya and felt like she wasn't being completely honest with them. But it couldn't be helped. Obviously the others didn't see it that way, and she was sure Natsu believed her. Natsu always believed in her, even when other people didn't. That was one of the reasons she looked up to and admired him so much. He had a way of bringing out the best in everyone around him.

Wendy's troia spell actually worked on Natsu, so he was not only awake but pain-free as they rode the train to Caraca, a small village about 2 hours from the capital city by train. As they approached their destination, the dragon slayer pulled his hood about his face so that the shadows made it almost impossible to make out his features. Wendy smiled and shook her head at him. Despite having lived in the castle for a year already, Natsu still didn't want to be recognized as a member of the royal family when he was out on his job requests.

"So what is the job anyway Erza?" Natsu asked with a grin.

"Oh," Erza returned his grin. "I picked one I thought you'd really like. We're hunting down a fire drake that's been attacking caravans in the mountains nearby."

"Yeah! I'm all fired up!" Natsu grinned, his fist pumping the air. As he spoke his signature words, Wendy realized she hadn't heard them her entire time at the palace. She felt a little sadness creep over her when she realized his public duties made him almost an entirely different person. But then, there were good qualities about that Natsu too. He was smarter. More mature. Definitely a lot more polite. And at heart he still remained the same fun, compassionate, and courageous person he'd always been.

Just then the train came to a stop, and the group hurried off the car. Once they were clear of the town and the people who were staring at them, Natsu pulled his hood back a little so he could breathe easier.

"So what are you guys calling the team now that I'm pretty much permanently gone," Natsu asked.

"Oh," Erza shrugged. "I'm actually not technically on the team now. I do solo missions."

Natsu's features saddened a little, hearing this. Wendy smiled as she recognized the change, knowing her nii-san wasn't nearly as dense as most people believed him to be. "You should try to get on a team Erza," he said quietly. "It's good for you."

Erza just shook her head. "I prefer solo jobs," she said. "But you should ask team Gray about that one."

"Team Gray?!" Natsu erupted into sudden laughter. "Seriously Luce, you guys are like the stripper squad now? You guys scare the enemies to death with your underwear?"

"Natsu!" Wendy elbowed him in the ribs. "That wasn't very nice." She was working hard to stifle a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Very funny flame brain. You're just jealous that I actually have a team named after me."

"You've got a team named after you in every major city in Fiore," Natsu smirked.

"Really?" Gray said, his eyes widening and his chest puffing out a bit. "I didn't know I was that famous."

"Yeah," Natsu said. "Every 'gentleman's club' in Fiore has a team named after you. Except they actually get paid to strip."

"Oh you're so gonna' get it!"

"Come at me! I've been training hard you know!"

"There will be no fighting amongst ourselves!" Erza said sternly from the front. Then suddenly her tone became meek. "W-with all due respect your highness."

"Erza, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Natsu sighed.

"I'm sorry!" Erza exclaimed, bowing submissively before the dragon slayer. "Please strike me."

Natsu shook his head and turned his attention back to Gray and Lucy. "So anyway, who else is part of the perv patrol?"

Gray just looked annoyed, but Lucy just answered. "Team Gray is now Gray, Juvia, Cana, and me."

"Wow." Natsu snickered. "You should invite Macao and Wakaba. They'd fit right in."

Lucy blushed a little while Wendy elbowed Natsu again. "Natsu!" She reprimanded.

"Sorry Wendy, it's just been so long since I could do this," Natsu sighed.

"So Katya, how did you come to Fairy Tail?" Natsu turned his attention to the new girl.

"Well, I lost my family a little over a year ago during the great drought. My dad owned a big farm that produced crops for our entire region, and we were raided by marauders. My whole family was killed while I was at the market selling the last of our produce for the year…"

"Oh," Natsu said, looking quietly at the ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright," Katya said, sadness still evident in her voice. "You couldn't have known anyway."

Wendy glared at the dark-haired girl. She couldn't help feeling that everything about her was wrong. Could it be that she was just upset that the girl didn't seem to like her? No way. Wendy wasn't that petty, was she? Katya seemed friendly enough today. And it had been several months since she last saw her in the guild. Maybe the time had just mellowed out whatever… grudge the girl seemed to have against her.

"So what about Team Shadow Gear?" Natsu asked, changing the topic.

"Oh, they've been doing great, I guess." Lucy said. Then she sighed. "Well, actually, Jet and Droy have kind of been left behind because Gajeel and Levy are always doing difficult quests for more money. But Jet and Droy will try to follow them sometimes, which usually ends up with Jet and Droy getting hurt."

"Hah. That doesn't surprise me," Natsu smirked.

"Team Strauss is probably the most popular team, and there are rumors that the Raijinshuu is going to have a member defect to Team Strauss soon." Lucy continued.

"Ah. Elfman and Ever finally gonna' tie the knot?"

Lucy stared at the dragon slayer. "I can't believe you actually noticed that."

Wendy scoffed under her breath, but Natsu just laughed the comment off. "Geez Luce, it was obvious to everyone. How dense do you think I am?"

Lucy just muttered under her breath and looked at the ground.

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a loud roar that shook the ground they were standing on. A creature that looked very much like a dragon, only smaller and with a narrower, more serpentine head, plummeted from the sky and landed in front of them, a huge cloud of wind and dust blowing them back as it landed. Wendy was able to stand firm against it, and she could feel from her grasp on Natsu's arm that he also didn't budge. However, as the dust lifted it showed Lucy, Gray, and Katya rising to their feet.

"Great!" Natsu grinned. "I just love it when my reward comes to me."

The drake glared at him and, without warning, launched a huge stream of fire from its mouth at the dragon slayer. Natsu just laughed as he devoured the flames.

"I've gotta' say," he grinned. "These are the best flames I've tasted in a long time. I'm all fired up!"

With a roar, the drake changed its target, directing its flames toward the rest of the group instead this time. Natsu just leapt in front of them and devoured the flames again. "Don't think you can ignore me you giant flaming gecko."

The creature roared at him, and Natsu jumped back as a spiked tail whipped around at incredible speed to smack at him, barely avoiding the tip, which was itself as sharp as a sword.

Meanwhile the others recovered from their shock and were fanning out around the creature, making sure to give it a wide berth. Wendy was to Natsu's right, while Katya stayed pretty close to Natsu on the left side. Wendy couldn't help feeling a little annoyed at this. Gray was to Katya's left, Lucy, along with Taurus, who she'd just summoned, to Gray's left. And finally Erza was between Gray and Wendy. The exceeds were both next to their respective dragon slayers, ready to assist them as soon as they were needed.

The drake roared and shot a huge cone of fire at Natsu again, which the dragon slayer just sighed as he gobbled down. "Man, don't you ever learn? I was hoping a drake would be a little more of a challenge. But I guess you are just a dumb lizard."

He then jumped back as the drake lunged, swiping at him with one of its enormous claws. The talons were each as long as one of Erza's swords, and easily sharp enough to cut through a body with the force the drake was able to put behind its swing. No sooner had his feet touched the ground then he moved to the side, barely avoiding the follow up tail attack from above.

"That all you got?" He taunted the creature, seeing Erza beginning to move in from the right.

With a roar, the fire drake swooped in with its tail again, and this time Natsu wasn't quite fast enough to dodge the strike completely. The spiked appendage struck a glancing blow against his ribs, knocking him back about 20 feet and leaving several deep gashes along his side. Even as the attack struck, Erza, Taurus, Wendy, and Gray all slammed the drake with their attacks. Erza charged in with her sword, scoring a powerful hit on the creature's right flank. Wendy attacked with her breath, which seemed to damage the scaled hide more than any of the other attacks. Gray's attack was a canon. And Taurus, of course, came at the drake with a powerful sweep from his axe.

But despite the power of the other attacks, the drake ignored everyone but Natsu and Wendy. Its black reptilian eyes focused on the pink-haired boy and the smaller, blue-haired girl.

"Well, guess it's up to us Wendy. It's pretty obvious no one else can damage this one." Natsu said with a grin.

The drake roared out a challenge, which Natsu happily responded to, running forward and barely dodging the talon sweep the creature aimed at him. "Fire Dragon's sword horn!"

The creature roared in pain as the attack connected, and Wendy saw some scales crack where the dragon-slayer hit the drake. She quickly focused her own attack, enhancing her speed first to make it easier for her to dodge the creature's great limbs as she came in at it. "Sky Dragon's Talon!" Her blow struck the same spot.

Natsu started in again as she leapt back, but then they both had to start backpedaling as the drake went into full attack mode, charging the pair with a flurry of claw and tail strikes they could barely keep up with. The attacks went on for over a minute before Natsu apparently decided he had enough.

"EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He screamed loudly. His team, knowing the potential for devastation his powerful attacks had, instantly got as clear as they could from the danger zone. "Fire Dragon King Mode!"

Wendy had to create a shield of air around her just to keep the heat from burning her clothes off. With a roar, Natsu used the most powerful distance attack Wendy had seen from him. "Fire Dragon King's Roar!"

A cone of intense, dark red and orange flames shot from his mouth, streaming down at least a quarter mile from the dragon slayer. Thankfully, everyone except Gray and Wendy – Gray who created an ice shield around himself to cool off and Wendy who could manipulate the wind to keep herself cool – had taken shelter from the heat to keep their clothes from burning off their bodies. Lucy especially remembered all too well what happened when the dragon slayer returned from his year long training quest.

The flames didn't let up for almost a full minute, and Natsu finally stopped the attack. When the fire died down, they saw the drake standing there, an almost comical look of mixed confusion and fear on its reptilian face. It stood for only a couple more moments before it fell, its face locked in that final expression forever.

"Wow, that took more out of me than I thought," Natsu said as the heat dissipated. The other members came out of hiding.

"I-I was useless in this battle…" Erza said, staring at the drake. "Please hit me."

Wendy smiled at the older woman's antics, but then the corner of her eye caught Katya behind Natsu. The woman had a dark smirk on her face and Wendy caught the flash of a black blade.

"NATSU-NII! LOOK OUT!" She screamed, watching Natsu twist toward her in confusion before the blade plunged into his back. Katya buried the weapon to the hilt in the dragon slayer, the front protruding out through his chest, but easily missing the heart. Wendy sighed in relief that her warning came soon enough to at least give her brother a chance.

Katya pulled the sword out and tried to bury it again, but the blade was struck aside by Erza's sword. As Natsu slipped to the ground, unconscious, Wendy was instantly at his side, tears streaming from her eyes. She placed her hands over the wound and let the healing magic flow. She could feel the bones and tissue trying to mend themselves, but something was fighting her. There was some kind of dark magic in the blade that pushed back against her healing magic. She fought against it, trying as hard as she could to overcome the barrier. Tears streamed from her eyes. "I have to heal him! He can't die!"

Meanwhile Erza, Gray, and Lucy were surrounding the black-haired girl who did this, fury in their eyes. "What is the meaning of this, Katya?" Erza growled, her bangs shadowing her face.

Katya just started laughing. "This is the whole reason I joined Fairy Tail." She said with a smirk. "Salamander destroyed my life, and now I have my revenge…"

"Destroyed your life? You yourself said he never met you before!" Gray yelled.

"Oh, but I lied." Suddenly the girl's voice changed. It became deep and sinister. The voice of a man and not a woman. With a flash of light 'Katya' disappeared and was replaced by a tall muscular man with black hair and a beard, his narrow eyes and his smirk reminiscent of when they'd first seen him at the Grand Magic Games…

"Jiemma!" Lucy gasped in surprise.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" The black haired man laughed heartily. "You know, when I first woke up alone and beaten, I blamed that idiot Sting for all of this. But when I thought about it I realized that it all started with Salamander. He was the one that turned my guild against me. He was the one that robbed me of my power and position as the head of the number one guild in Fiore. If not for him, Sting and Rogue would never have found the courage to defy me, even in Tartaros!"

"It wasn't easy, learning the magic to keep myself in that form day in and day out. And it wasn't easy becoming a weak little pussy. But I knew it would be enough to get me into Fairy Tail. What better way to slip past the old geezer than become a pretty girl." Jiemma smirked.

"You won't get away with this!" Erza yelled, pulling out a pair of anti-magic handcuffs. "You'll sit in a magic council prison for the rest of your life!"

Jiemma just laughed again. "I was totally prepared for that. It's all worth it since I accomplished my goal."

Just then Wendy's power output changed, and everyone turned toward her in shock. Her hair went from blue to purple, scales appearing on various parts of her body. Erza's eyes opened wide at the sight. The girl was going into dragon force while healing?! This was something new.

"I… won't… fail…" The girl gasped out, and an intense green light glowed around the wound. But there was something dark in there too. It seemed to fight against the green light, lashing out at it and trying to keep it back. But Wendy maintained her pressure. After several moments, the blackness was consumed by her light, and the wound began to close. It was another full minute before the flesh was closed enough for the bleeding to be minimal, and Wendy's dragon force faded as she herself collapsed, descending into unconsciousness over the wounded prince.

Immediately Erza knelt by the duo, checking Natsu's pulse with her hand. She found one, albeit faint, and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"We need to get Natsu to the nearest healer," she said. "Gray, Lucy, you two are going ot have to carry him. Try not to jolt his body too much, since we don't know how much Wendy was able to heal. Carla, Happy, I want you two to carry Wendy. She exhausted her magic power container."

She then turned to Jiemma, grabbing his cuffed wrists roughly. "Looks like you failed." She said with a scowl. "If I were more like you I'd show you the true meaning of pain right here. The council prison is too good for you."

And with that the group headed off, their mood much more somber than it was before.

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And that's a wrap (for the chapter). Drop a review if you liked it. My next update will be "Lost," and once that's posted the poll will close. So if you haven't voted for the "Lost" pairing, vote now (after you review, of course).

Ciao


	10. Chapter 10

**Fairy Tail isn't mine. It belongs to Mashima. Same with the characters.

So... here's the next chapter of Fiery Jade. Hope you enjoy! The plan is to update Lost next and then Exploring the World with You. Hopefully that plan goes well.

Oh, and before I forget, if you would like to vote on which story I start next (once this story and "The Size of His Heart" are complete), there is a poll on my profile page.

But before you go there, make sure to read and drop a review :D I love all my readers :D :D :D **

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"Hisui. When are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Hisui sighed as she turned away from her father, Toma Fiore. King of Fiore, and the mastermind behind her arranged marriage to Natsu Dragneel. The fire dragon slayer who she was currently royally pissed off at.

She'd expected him to be excited about her announcement. She'd even thought it could be the catalyst that would help him recognize his feelings for her. But no. Instead he'd been shocked. Horrified even. Was she that revolting to him that the thought of having a child with her affected him that way?

"You need to tell me sometime," her father's voice cut through her thoughts. "You've been this way since Natsu left on his guild's last job request, and it's been affecting your duties."

"I don't think it's affected my duties," she retorted. Sure, the fresh image of the shock and horror painted on her husband's face was still fresh in her mind, but that didn't mean the way she did business changed. After all, there was nothing that she did as the princess of Fiore that required her to actually _be_ happy.

"Maybe you don't think so, but everyone else can see it clearly." Toma reprimanded her. "Even in the way that you greet nobles and dignitaries you were once very close to. You're not as open or cheerful as you used to be with them."

"Who says I always have to be cheerful around these people?" Hisui turned away again. "They're just spoiled rich kids who were born into wealth and status."

"Those 'spoiled rich kids' provide much of the wealth and trade for our kingdom," Toma replied, moving around so that he was in her field of view again. "And though you may have forgotten it, you aren't exactly much different."

"At least I took some time to get out there among the common people," Hisui replied earnestly.

Toma sighed. "Look, I'm going to drop this for now because it's not really important. I know well enough that these aren't your real reasons for acting differently. So I'm asking you again, what happened between you and Natsu that has you so angry?"

"What makes you think this has anything to do with my husband?" She growled, turning away from him again.

"Your response right here for one," Toma replied. "But as I said, your change in attitude started the day Natsu Dragneel headed out on that latest job request with his team, and it's been getting steadily worse since."

"Maybe I'm just not happy about him going on a job with his guild."

"Is that the reason you're so unhappy? Because if it is I can make sure he doesn't do any more job requests."

Hisui frowned, looking at the ground. "No. I miss him when he's gone, but I don't mind him going on requests. I know that's how he tries to get stronger."

"So what is it?" Toma pressed, clearly unwilling to let this go.

"If you really need to know, father, I announced something to him when he left. Something I thought he would be happy about. But he wasn't. In fact, if I had to guess I'd say he was actually pretty horrified."

Toma's brow furrowed for a moment, but then it settled into something that Hisui recognized as understanding with a hint of sadness. "What did you tell him?" He asked quietly.

"I simply told him that I've been off my contraceptives for a while, and I missed my period last month…"

He didn't look surprised to hear that answer. "Ah. Congratulations to you then, my daughter."

Now it was her turn to be inquisitive. "You didn't seem at all surprised to hear that, father. Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"What? Oh. No. Just… don't judge Natsu too harshly. I'm sure he had his reasons for reacting the way he did."

"And you really have no idea what those reasons are?"

Toma turned away from her. "Just try to forget it happened that way. If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure he'll apologize to you as soon as he comes back."

"What would make me feel better is knowing what this is about." Hisui felt the anger building within her. She could tell her father knew exactly why Natsu reacted the way he did. And she wasn't happy to discover that both her father and her husband were keeping secrets from her.

Her father sighed. "I'm sorry, but I think it's better for you to remain unaware of the reasons for Natsu's behavior…"

She couldn't believe him. Better for her? Who was he to decide what was better for her when it came to her husband, and apparently her child? She forced her heart rate to slow. Her breathing to even out. She forced her brain away from anger and into solutions. She needed to know. There had to be a way to get her father to tell her.

"Fine…" She said after a few minutes. "If that's really what you want, I'll just refuse to speak to Natsu when he gets back until he caves. Maybe I'll even take a separate room…"

"You can't do that!" She heard the worried edge to the king's voice. "You know how Natsu would react. He wouldn't be able to focus on anything till your relationship was resolved!"

"Exactly," she said flipping her hair back with a grin.

Toma sighed and shook his head. "Fine. I guess I'll tell you why Natsu was so upset to hear that you were pregnant…. Basically, there's a major threat that he's going to have to face, and it's tied to the birth of your first child."

"What threat?" She pressed.

The king sighed. "If you and the baby are to live, he's going to have to defeat—"

Suddenly the door burst open. "Princess!" A guard blurted, but was cut off by a sharp elbow by another guard. This guard bowed deeply.

"I apologize for the interruption your majesty, your highness," he said respectfully. "But we have just received alarming news concerning the prince."

"Natsu?" Hisui instantly forgot the current conversation. "What's happened to Natsu?!"

The guard kept his head down as he answered. "The reports were very brief, your highness, but it appears that one of the prince's former enemies infiltrated the guild and attempted to assassinate him. He's currently in a comatose state at the local healer's hut in Phaela."

Hisui's eyes widened in shock as she took in the news. Natsu's own guild mate tried to assassinate him? Maybe she needed to insist that he refrain from going on job requests after all. This never would've happened if he stayed at the palace with her.

"How long do they think he'll be asleep?" She asked, fearful of the answer.

"They don't know," replied the guard. "They said if not for Wendy, the sky dragon slayer, he would've been dead long ago. But he could be out for as little as a week or as long as a year."

Hisui's face paled at that response. A year? He was definitely never going on a job request with his guild again! How could they let this happen to him? How could they bring an assassin in their midst? She was going to have a pointed talk with Natsu's regular team.

"I need to go to him," she said quietly. "Inform Arcadios that I require him to accompany me to Phaela."

"I'll send the Garou knights as well," Toma said. "If anyone else has heard that Natsu is injured, it's likely they'll try to take advantage of this to get to him through you."

Soon Hisui was on the way to the town of Phaela, escorted by her small, though powerful, entourage.

 **~~~~~~Fairy Tail~~~~~~**

"What do you mean you don't know when you'll be back?" Makarov asked, frowning at the communications lacrima in his hand. "I thought you completed the request successfully."

"We did," Erza's voice sounded strained as it came through the lacrima. "But we ran into some problems, and the short of it is Natsu's pretty badly injured."

Makarov paled. Nobody wants to hear that the prince of the realm was injured while in the care of his guild. "How… how bad was it?"

"Wendy managed to heal him, but the doctors don't know when he'll wake up. They say two weeks would be optimistic."

"And how long do they think is realistic?"

"They don't know for sure," Erza's voice sounded tired. "But up to a year."

"A YEAR?!"" Makarov gulped, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Erza, the last thing I need right now is for the royal family to be angry at us."

"I apologize for this failure, master. You may strike me when I return."

Makarov clenched his fists in frustration. "That won't help anything. Just how powerful was the fire drake? I would've figured Natsu could take care of it without much difficulty."

"The drake wasn't a problem, master." Erza said, her voice agitated. "Which brings me to the other matter of which I must inform you. It seems that Katya wasn't who she seemed to be. As soon as Natsu and Wendy finished dealing with the fire drake, Katya… Well, stabbed Natsu while his back was to her. Only shortly after that we found out she wasn't really a 'her.'"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Makarov sweat-dropped.

"Ummm… Basically… Katya was actually Jiemma and transformed into 'Katya' just to join Fairy Tail and kill Natsu. Gotta' go. Bye." Erza said really fast before they were disconnected.

Makarov took a moment to process the information that was just fired rapidly at him before his face slowly started to become red with anger. "WHAT?!" He screamed at the disconnected lacrima.

"Dear Kami, I was hitting on Jiemma!" Macao and Wakaba looked extremely horrified. It would've been funny if it weren't for the situation they were in.

"Do you realize what this means? We sent an assassin out with our team and he almost succeeded in killing the realm's prince!" Makarov wailed. "With the way the council feels about us, having the king on our side was the best thing we had going for us too!"

 **~~~~~~Phaela~~~~~~**

"Your highness!" Lucy exclaimed, getting up and bowing slightly. She then nudged Gray, who did the same.

"No need to be so formal Lucy, Gray." Hisui said as she came in. Arcadios and the Garou knights were positioned outside the building. "Where is my husband?"

Lucy pointed to a hallway to the right. "He's down there. Last door."

"Thank you," Hisui quickly made her way down the hall to the last door. As she was about to open it, she heard a female voice on the other side.

"I'm sorry Natsu… If we hadn't brought Katya along this never would've happened. It's all my fault you're here…"

Opening the door slowly and cautiously, she stepped in to see Erza sitting beside Natsu's bed. Though her long, scarlet hair covered most of her face, Hisui could see the tears that still dripped slowly down her cheek. Her hand's clasped one of Natsu's tightly, as though she were trying by sheer willpower to awaken the pink-haired dragon slayer from his coma.

Hisui moved slowly up to the bedside, looking down at Natsu. His features seemed a little pale, but she silently thanked the gods to see his chest rising and falling gently. He was breathing. He was stable. So he could recover.

Her sigh of relief must've alerted Erza to her presence, because the scarlet-haired mage turned to face her before letting out a startled gasp. "Your highness!" She instantly moved away from the bed.

"How is he?" Hisui asked, not looking up from Natsu. She wasn't sure what to think at the moment. She felt a very deep bond with Fairy Tail after the events with the eclipse gate, and for that reason she felt a measure of respect and friendship toward Erza. But her guild – her team – were the ones that brought the assassin that almost killed her husband out. And she'd just seen her in a near intimate moment with Natsu. _Damn pregnancy hormones. I shouldn't have this much trouble remaining calm…_

"He'll… He'll recover, your highness. Please forgive me for allowing him to be put in danger."

Hisui remained motionless, still staring at her husband's figure on the bed. She wanted to cry out. To scream at the woman and her team mates for bringing Natsu into such a dangerous situation. But she was the princess. She needed to hold it together. She worked to keep her voice steady, but failed to completely do so as she said. "Please leave me alone with my husband now."

"Y-yes your highness," Erza quickly left the room, letting the door close hard behind her. Hisui waited till she was out before taking the chair, allowing her head to fold onto Natsu's chest as the tears finally came.

"Natsu, please come back to me… I still don't fully understand why you acted the way you did, but I don't want those to be my last words to you…" Her eyes closed as she remembered her harsh words as they parted. _Maybe I made a mistake marrying you…_

The steady beat of his heart was comforting. But with the warmth naturally exuded by his body it threatened to lull her to sleep. She raised her head a little, looking down at his calm features.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been there before she heard the knock on the door. "Come in," she said quietly. Arcadios entered, bowing to her as he approached.

"Forgive me for the intrusion, your highness, but the healer said it will be safe to transport the prince back to the capital in two days time."

"Two days?" Hisui looked back at Natsu, concerned by this information. "He looks like he should be healed enough to transport already."

"I think it would be wise to heed the healer's instructions," Arcadios said. "But there's no need to be alarmed. The Garou knights will be here, and I will inform the Fairy Tail guild members they will also be required to stay until we're able to move the prince."

"Thanks Arcadios," Hisui said. "If that's all, you can go now."

Hisui looked at the small timepiece she carried with her. It was only 3 hours past noon. So why did she feel so exhausted? Could it be that even though she was barely more than a month pregnant, it was already affecting her this much physically and emotionally? She sighed softly. A large part of her wanted to crawl into bed next to her husband's warm body and get a few hours of sleep before dinner. Another part screamed that if she wanted to retain her dignity as princess she must resist the urge to do something as undignified as taking a nap like a little kid. Plus, now she was mad at him for almost getting himself killed.

But the bed looked so comfortable… And it felt like forever since she'd slept next to her dragon. And sleep just sounded soooo good right now. Especially as she watched the rhythmic rise and fall of his muscular chest, half obscured by the bandages.

In the end, her heavy eyelids won the battle, and she crawled slowly into bed next to the dragon slayer, not caring that it would probably wrinkle her dress. She laid her had gently on his chest and allowed his warmth to pull her into dream world.

 **~~~~~~A Week Later~~~~~~**

Hisui came into the room that she shared with Natsu to find Wendy sitting next to his bed again. The young dragon slayer had barely done anything else since they got back from the small town of Phaela. She even refused to go exploring again with Happy and Carla on many occasions. Hisui could tell that Wendy blamed herself for his current condition, even though she was the reason that he was still alive.

"I'm sure he'll be back to his usual self soon enough," she told the bluenette as she came in. "Natsu's not the type to give in to anything."

"You're right," Wendy said, her usual smile gracing her features. "It would take a lot more than this to put Natsu-nii down."

Hisui frowned, remembering what her father told her about the dragon slayer's reaction to her revelation of the child she was carrying. What upcoming test or challenge could cause Natsu to look so horrified? What could he possibly be afraid of? This was the same Natsu who shouted out a message of encouragement when they faced the dragons that came through the eclipse gate. The same Natsu that rushed off to face Zeref himself in the war with Alvarez. What in Earthland could that Natsu possibly be afraid of? And how was it related to the birth of their child?

"Nee-chan, please don't judge Natsu-nii too harshly." Wendy's voice cut through her thoughts. "I don't understand it myself, but I know Natsu-nii well enough to believe that his reaction wasn't what it appeared to be."

"You heard that?" Hisui asked, surprised. Wendy had been a good distance from them at the time. In fact, Hisui was pretty sure she'd already started heading for the palace gates.

"I'm a dragon slayer too," Wendy said, looking at the ground.

Of course. She forgot that this girl was a dragon slayer like Natsu, and could probably hear, see, and smell much more than the average person. She sighed, looking down at the sleeping form of her husband. Even though her father gave her reason to believe that Wendy was right, the pain of hearing those words from his lips pushed her to demand more. She'd all but forgotten it when she first received the news of his injuries, but now that he was stable and she had a lot of time to herself, the memories seemed fresh again.

"If he really had a good reason, don't you think he would've told me beforehand?" She said quietly. "Instead of waiting till I made the announcement, shouldn't he have let me in on whatever this is? This is my future too, not just his, dammit! If there's something that he's afraid of, I should know about it! I'm his wife. How could he keep a secret so big from me?!"

"He probably believes it's for your own good…" Wendy deduced quietly.

Hisui clenched her hands in frustration. "How is it for my own good?" She almost yelled. "If this is really something so serious, maybe it would've affected my decision to stop taking my birth control! I thought we were ready for a child! I was even hoping this would bring us together!"

Wendy continued to look at the floor, the smile long since gone from her face. "I'm sorry Hisui-san." She said quietly. "I'm sure Natsu-nii will explain it to you when he wakes up."

Hisui frowned. It hurt a little for the girl who just recently was comfortable enough to refer to her as a sister to revert to a more formal honorific. But she didn't deserve to be treated like a child by her father, and especially by Natsu. If this was important enough to affect their thinking on her children, she should've been aware of it.

"I'm going to the gardens," she said a little curtly. "Please inform me if my idiot husband wakes up."

Not waiting to hear a response, she headed to the royal gardens to try and clear her mind again. She almost hoped he didn't wake up today. She wasn't sure she was ready to deal with it yet. He infuriated her. First he conspired with her father to keep some big secret that affected her and her future children. Then he went off and nearly got himself killed with a bunch of his old friends from the guild. Just when she thought they were finally connecting, she learned that, at the very least, he was holding back. He didn't trust her fully. She hoped, no prayed, that she wouldn't have to confront these feelings again till she had time to sleep again.

She'd just stepped into the gardens when a guard came rushing in after her. She froze as she turned around, almost terrified to hear the only news that would send a member of the royal guard to her in such a rush.

"Your highness! Prince Natsu just awakened!"

* * *

**So there it is. Natsu is awake, but how will his return to consciousness pan out for him? Will he be able to handle Hisui's wrath?

Dear kami, I'm starting to sound like a random anime voice at the end of an episode of DBZ. Somebody shoot me.

NO WAIT! I DIDN'T MEAN LITERALLY! STOP!

AT LEAST LEAVE A REVIEW BEFORE I DIE!

X.X


	11. Chapter 11

**Fairy Tail's not mine, it's Mashima's

This chapter's a little shorter because I was taking way too long to get it up.

Hold on, let me try that again.

Getting it up isn't a problem, in the bedroom at least. But sometimes on fanfiction...

Ummm...

Anyway, I felt like it was too long since I posted a chapter, so this one's a little shorter.

But don't worry! Next week Natsu's getting it on with Acnologia!

Er... That is to say, they're gonna fight. Things are gonna' get rough for Natsu!

Er... That is to say... He might have a little trouble winning this one.

Umm... Yeah, I think that's my cue to exit... Enjoy! (And Review)**

* * *

Wendy tensed as the door opened. It didn't slam open, but it did open rather quickly as the dainty figure of Hisui strode into the room.

"I need some time alone with my husband," she said in a voice that was not to be trifled with.

"He just woke up nee-chan," Wendy said. "Can't I sit with him a little longer?"

Hisui's glare answered the question without her having to speak a word. Wendy silently rose, whispering, "Good luck Nastu-nii," before heading out and closing the door behind her.

To Wendy's surprise, she didn't hear anything happening inside the room. She breathed a sigh of relief, sinking to the floor next to the door. Apparently Hisui wasn't as angry with Natsu as Wendy believed.

"Your highness looks like a weight has just lifted," the guard outside the door commented.

"Oh," Wendy said with a smile. "I'm just glad they're not fighting…. I expected it to be really loud here for the next several minutes."

"What makes you think they're not fighting?" The guard asked. "With all due respect, your highness," he quickly added.

Wendy frowned at him. "Well, if they were we would obviously hear them…"

The guard smiled at her. "Well, it's a nice sentiment your highness. But this room is soundproof. They could be doing anything in there and we wouldn't hear a thing."

"EH?!" Wendy rose to her feet quickly, worried as she looked toward the door.

"Well of course," the guard said. "You know we have to stand guard outside here every hour of the day and night. It would be a little awkward for everyone if the Prince and the Princess never had any privacy." A light blush tinted his cheeks at the last part. "Not that I would mind listening, of course." The last words were barely a whisper that Wendy knew she wasn't supposed to hear.

"Pervert," she muttered, turning back to the door as she worried again for Natsu. And for Hisui. Even in the short time she was there, she'd come to love the princess as family as well, though her love for her older brother figure was much stronger. She didn't want to see either of them sad, and a small part of her was angry with Natsu for being so stubborn. But a larger part of her knew that the dragon slayer would never back down from his word once it was given.

 **~~~~~~Inside the Room~~~~~~**

"Natsu, I think you owe me an explanation." Hisui stood next to the bed, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she looked down at her husband.

"I'm sorry, Hisui. I can't tell you anything except that what I said back then had nothing to do with having a child…. I'm really happy to be having a child with you."

"Then why don't you explain what the fuck that was back then?" Hisui glared at him. Between her pregnancy and the recent events surrounding her, she felt extremely irritable right now. And the man in the bed in front of her, despite being the one she gave her heart to, was at the center of her fury.

"I can't talk about it," Natsu said stubbornly. "I gave my word to somebody, and I intend to keep it."

"Yeah? Well what if you have to choose? Would you rather keep your word or me?!" Hisui felt her voice rising, her cheeks glowing red with the anger and frustration she felt. She didn't intend to follow through on that threat. She hoped she would never be faced with even having to consider it. But she needed answers, and right now her husband was treating her more like a child than like his wife.

After several long minutes of silence, a single tear leaked from the dragon slayer's eye. "Don't make me do that, Hisui…" He said quietly, his voice breaking a bit.

"And why not?" She snapped, leaning down to get further in the dragon slayer's face. "Give me one good reason why I should stick with a man who thinks it's more important to keep secrets from me than to have a good relationship with me! Who himself has admitted that he's not even sure he loves me the way I love him! How the fuck can you expect me to be happy with this, Natsu Dragneel?!"

His tone began to change from broken to defensive. "I never asked for this… Any of it. I wasn't given a choice in our marriage. Just like I don't have a choice in this. I gave my word to someone and I'm not going to break it."

Hisui desperately held back the tears that wanted to start pouring as she heard those words. "You're right, you didn't ask for this. But after being forced into it you were all too happy to take it. I didn't hear you objecting to using my body for pleasure, or is that all I am to you? Am I just the biggest fucking royal catch in your life? You think I'm just some damn street tramp that needs to keep to her own business?"

Not giving him a chance to say anything further she continued her tirade. "You know I didn't really have a choice in this either, Natsu. My father made this decision. Sure, it helped that you seemed to be a good future husband at the time, but it's not like I _chose_ you. But I loved you anyway. I tried my hardest to be the best wife that I could. All I ever wanted was for you to love me back. For you to want to live as my husband and the father of my child. I just wanted you to see me as something more than the princess you were forced to marry. Is that too much to ask, Natsu Dragneel?" She brushed tears from her eyes as she nearly screamed the last part, losing control of her emotions. _Damn pregnancy hormones. Why do I have to be so weak right now?_

"Hisui… I… I do love you, I realize that now." Natsu's voice was still soft, sad. "I probably have for a while now. I've just been too stubborn to admit it…"

"Well maybe it's time for you to stop being so damn stubborn and tell me what it is that makes you so scared about our child," she yelled, rounding on him again. If he thought just saying the words she'd been waiting to hear all these months was going to get him out of this, he was sorely mistaken. "If you love me so much, how about you _show_ me by actually trusting me! Treat me like a woman and an equal instead of a little child who's afraid of her own shadow. Let me face whatever's coming together with you! Let me into your life – all of it!" She was pleading now, and she knew it. Tears were streaming down her face too fast for her to brush away with her furiously working hands.

"…" Natsu looked away, his face set in a guilty frown as he continued to remain silent.

"Damn it Natsu!" Hisui growled, her anger starting to return full force. "Answer me! We may be married, but that doesn't mean I have to take this from you. Hell, I don't have to live in the same room as you if I don't want to. I'll just have the guards prepare me a separate room, and then you won't have to look at me again…"

"Hisui…" His voice sounded broken, pleading. But she didn't care. He deserved whatever he was feeling right now, and until he was ready to treat her the way a princess of the realm – no, more than that, his wife, partner, and friend – deserved to be treated, she didn't want to see him. She prepared to leave when suddenly the door opened and Toma came in.

"Father," she said in as steady a voice as she could. "I was just leaving."

"No," his voice was firm. "You need to stay." He slowly made his way over to one of the chairs that sat near the bed and settled in it. Hisui debated making a run for it, but she knew she'd have to face both her husband and her father again eventually. So instead she pulled up a chair and sat down in it with a huff, glaring at the two men through her tear-stained eyes.

After a few more moments Toma spoke, his voice sounding old and tired. "I'm the one that's ultimately responsible for this mess, so I feel it's my responsibility to resolve it," he said quietly. "Natsu, Hisui, I apologize to both of you. Natsu, I never should have demanded your secrecy on something as important as this. And Hisui…. I never should have kept something this important from you, especially after you were married."

Hisui waited, not saying a word as she wanted to hear what her father had to say for himself and her husband. Natsu also remained silent, his eyes closed and his breathing even as though he might fall asleep at any moment.

"Hisui," Toma said, turning to look her in the eyes. "We're here now because when I was young I was very foolish… And selfish." He looked at the ground. "I can give you the details another time, but what you must understand is this. As your husband and protector, Natsu will now have to fight Acnologia shortly after your child is born. And if he loses, not only will he die, but Acnologia will kill your child and take you as his 'student.'"

Hisui's face paled at the name of the dragon king. Acnologia. The great dragon that destroyed the whole island of Tenroujima with a single breath attack. Who nobody in the guild could even scratch with their attacks. The dragon that, according to legend, had bathed in the blood of a thousand dragons. Her anger didn't disappear, but now it began to turn.

"And you thought this wasn't important to tell me?" She asked, her voice still unsteady. "This is my future we're talking about! How could you withhold that from me?"

"I'm sorry my dear," Toma said, a defeated look on his face. "This was one of the reasons I chose Natsu to be your husband… I could see that you liked him too. But I hoped he would have several years to prepare for the dragon king's arrival…"

"Well maybe if I'd known it would've affected my decision to stop birth control!" Hisui yelled, her face red again as she considered everything that happened.

"I know my dear, but you always said that you were going to wait a few years before having children," Toma said, his head in his hands. "How was I to know you would change your mind so suddenly?"

 _It wasn't so much that as that I thought a child would make Natsu love me more. But I can't say that… Wait, if he made Natsu my husband because of this whole dragon threat…_ "So not only do you think I'm a child, but marrying me to Natsu was just a business deal? A strategic move to protect your legacy?"

"Of course not!" Toma said, his head snapping up. "I could tell that you liked Natsu Dragneel, and he _is_ the strongest of the dragon slayers. He proved that in his previous battles against each of them. So it's only natural that I would choose him."

"That still sounds like a strategic move to me!" Hisui yelled, her hands clenched into fists as her voice continued to tremble. "You needed a dragon slayer to solve your problem, and since I just happened to have a little bit of a crush on one you pulled him in and married him to me. Without even letting us figure out if we loved each other first! If we'd waited a little longer, maybe this wouldn't have happened either!"

"Hisui…" Toma's voice was pained.

"I… I need time to think…" Hisui said, getting up. In some ways she was relieved that it was her father who secured Natsu's promise to remain silent. On the other hand, she wished his loyalty was to her above her father. And right now she was feeling like no more than a pawn to be moved as Toma pleased. But as she moved away from the bed, a rough, bandaged hand grasped hers, causing her to turn and look back.

Natsu's eyes pierced her from the bed, bearing an expression of mixed love, sorrow, and regret. "Hisui… I love you… I'm sorry it took me so long."

She didn't answer. She couldn't answer at the moment. She just nodded, withdrawing her hand, and swept out of the room, heading to her private garden where she could be alone. _Natsu… I waited so long to hear you say those words… But right now… Now that I know I could lose you… It would be so much easier if I never heard them…_

But deep in her heart she knew that wasn't true. If Natsu never told her he loved her, she wasn't sure life would've been bearable, especially if he died protecting her and their soon to be newborn baby. But now he was losing precious training time. Time that could've been spent getting ready for Acnologia, now lost forever because of his incompetent team bringing an assassin right to him.

 _Fuck these pregnancy hormones!_ Worse than any of the rest, she was feeling very sexually frustrated. And even when she went back in and reconciled with her husband, there was no way he could satisfy her in his current condition. She sighed as she settled onto a bench in the garden, allowing the warm rays of the sun and the gentle fragrance of the roses to lull her mind into a more peaceful state. And, without realizing it, Hisui fell asleep.

 **~~~~~~A month later~~~~~~**

Things were back to later around the palace now. Well, almost back to normal. Since telling his feelings to the princess, Natsu showed his affection more openly as well. But the prince also spent every moment of his time that wasn't delegated to meetings and other duties in training. Except for 2 hours every day. One hour was spent with his surrogate little sister, Wendy, and the other was spent with his wife. Because of his busy schedule, time went all too quickly for the dragon slayer, and before he knew it the day had come. The princess, under the care of the royal physicians, gave birth to a healthy baby boy who, at Natsu's insistence, they named Igneel.

But the day after the birth he appeared. Not as a dragon, as Natsu was expecting, but as a dark-skinned man with light colored hair and a dead look in his eyes. If it hadn't been for his scent, Natsu might not have recognized him. But this was a scent he wouldn't forget in a million years.

Trying to still his beating heart he looked up to meet those dead orbs that stared back at him and uttered the name of the creature that for years haunted his nightmares…

"Acnologia."

* * *

Muahahahaha! Only a couple more chapters left in this one. I may stick to updating this till it's done because I'm anxious to get started on some of the other stories I'll be writing.

Ok, I'll admit that chapter was tough to write. But I had to get it out there because I felt like the story wouldn't be complete without it.

Which is to say, I had trouble getting it up at first, but now we're close to the climax.

Um...

I mean, er, that this story's almost at the crucial point. You know. That climax, the one that follows the rising action in a plot. Rising action. Hehe

Eh... I'll shut up now.

Anyway, drop a review if you liked. Or didn't like. Follow, favorite, smile!


	12. Chapter 12

****I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. They belong to Mashima.  
**

 **Alright everyone, sorry I've taken so long to update. A lot has been happening in my life recently, and I haven't had as much time to write. But I'll still be finishing all the stories I currently have running. I'll also create some of the other stories I was planning on.**

 **Looks like (according to the poll) the majority of my readers want to see the NatsuxWendyxChelia next. That will be a shorter story, most likely, and I'll start it in conjunction with the "back in time" story****

* * *

 _But the day after the birth he appeared. Not as a dragon, as Natsu was expecting, but as a dark-skinned man with light colored hair and a dead look in his eyes. If it hadn't been for his scent, Natsu might not have recognized him. But this was a scent he wouldn't forget in a million years._

 _Trying to still his beating heart he looked up to meet those dead orbs that stared back at him and uttered the name of the creature that for years haunted his nightmares…_

 _"Acnologia."_

"So the king thought Zeref's little brother could stop me." A mirthless laugh escaped the self-proclaimed dragon king's throat as Igneel awakened, hoarse baby cries escaping from his throat. Hisui, who was in no condition to do anything except lay in bed, comforted the child, pulling him in to nurse him.

Natsu could feel his limbs shaking as he faced the monster before him. He didn't have nearly enough time to prepare for this battle. Another 7 years wouldn't have been enough time. But somehow he had to win it. Natsu Dragneel, the son of the fire dragon king, would have to come out victorious.

"I guess after I finish with you I'll have to show Fiore what a real king looks like." Acnologia took a ready position. His posture and bearing were not at all like when he faced God Serena and ended him with a single blow. This was more like his encounter with Fairy Tail on Tenroujima. He was confident that his prey was within his grasp, and wanted to enjoy a few minutes of toying with it before delivering the killing strike.

"You have to get past me first," Natsu said, stepping forward against the inner terror that tried to freeze his limbs in place. Somehow the step boosted his confidence. He wasn't the same dragon slayer that fought Acnologia on Tenroujima all those years ago. He was Natsu Dragneel, son of the fire dragon king and the only one who could use the king's magic. He would find a way to win this if it killed him.

"Big words for such a small insect," Acnologia replied with a smirk. "I'm gonna' enjoy—"

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu hit him before he could finish the sentence, knocking him away from the palace area. He quickly chased him out into the dark streets of Crocus. _Good. I can go all out here…_

Acnologia regained his feet easily, shaking the blow off. "Is that what you call an attack, boy? I didn't even feel it."

"Yeah? There's plenty more where that came from! Iron Dragon's Wing Attack!"

This time Acnologia didn't even budge, allowing the attack to hit him and once again taking no damage from it. Then he lunged forward with incredible speed. Natsu saw the power of the attack and managed to get out of the way in time.

"Impressive for an insect," the dragon king smirked, lunging forward again. Natsu twisted to the right, barely avoiding the claw that threatened to tear half his torso out.

"Fire Dragon's Talon!" Natsu attacked again, landing a hit on the dragon king's head. He smirked, certain that would do at least some damage.

But Acnologia didn't look like he was hurt at all. In fact, he wasn't even breathing hard. He was just standing there, the same dead look in his eyes and a slight smirk on his lips. Natsu could feel his anger rising within him, and he let loose with a flurry of attacks.

"Fire Dragon's Claw!" He dove in, slashing hard with his right hand in an attack that should've torne some flesh from Acnologia.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" His fist impacted the dragon king's hard abs, but the monster still didn't budge an inch.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" His attack scored a direct hit on the dragon king, but still he remained unfazed.

"Alright. Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" The flames engulfed Acnologia forming a vortex around him.

"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Blade!" The massive attack hit Acnologia, engulfing him in the superheated flames. But still the dragon 'king' stood there, not moving an inch or even showing the slightest bit of damage.

"Dammit!" Natsu yelled. "How many times do I have to hit you before you go down?!"

"You think you can hurt me, dragon slayer." Acnologia replied, looking at Natsu with his dead eyes. "Tell me, how many times does a mosquito have to bite you before you go down?"

Natsu growled. He knew he didn't have a chance at this power level. He was hoping to wear the apocalypse dragon down a little before using his full strength. But at this rate he would wear himself down rather than Acnologia. He stepped back from the false dragon king. "Fire Dragon King Mode!"

Immediately the stones of the surrounding buildings began to melt from the heat. Natsu could hear people still fleeing the area, though most had left when the fighting first began. He didn't have time to worry about them, though. "Fire King's Demolishing Fist!" He felt his fist connect with his opponent, and Acnologia wend flying back through two stone buildings, which crumbled around him. For a few moments the streets were filled with dust. Natsu watched the spot where Acnologia disappeared to, holding his breath. Did he hit the black dragon hard enough to knock him out?

His answer came seconds later as a roar echoed from the debris, and a black dragon suddenly stood over the entire area, his enormous foot narrowly missing Natsu as it settled on the streets of Crocus. Natsu swallowed hard as he looked up and saw two blue orbs staring at him from within the black face of the dragon king.

"So the little dragon slayer has grown fangs," Acnologia sounded angry. Despite the fear coursing through him, Natsu couldn't help a little smirk. "Let's see how you fare against a dragon king!"

"Dragon king my ass." Natsu glared at the dragon slayer. "The only real dragon king was Igneel, the fire dragon king. You're nothing but a low-class clown compared to him."

He saw the claw coming just in time, leaping backward as the air rushing from the swipe knocked him even further back into a nearby building. Acnologia glared from above him, his blue eyes glowing in the darkening sky. "You would do well to remember that it was I who killed Igneel, worm!"

"Pff. You killed Igneel's shadow," Natsu replied, rolling quickly to the left to avoid another claw that descended on him at lightning speed. "If you fought Igneel at his full power he would've wiped the floor with you. Hell, you couldn't even beat Zeref. What kind of 'dragon king' does that make you?"

Acnologia's voice suddenly sounded like steel. "You will suffer before you die, insolent worm. Perhaps after I have defeated you, I'll keep you alive long enough for you to watch me take that pretty mate of yours."

"Big words," Natsu said as he dodged still another attack, searching for an opening. "But it'll never happen. The only way you're getting to her is if I'm dead."

"That can be arranged too." Acnologia lunged forward, swiping with a claw that Natsu avoided easier now as he began to read some of the dragon's attack patterns. A sudden instinct told him to move quickly, and he threw himself forward into a roll, just diving under the dragon's massive jaw that snapped shut where he'd just stood.

"Fire King Dragon's Roar!" Natsu poured as much power as he could into the attack, hitting the black dragon just below the neck near his chest. Acnologia roared, rearing up on his hind legs, and Natsu looked to see the effect of the attack. The dragon's scaly hide was now scratched and burned in the area where the flames hit him, but the damage still only looked to be surface damage.

"Fire Dragon King's Crushing Talon!" Natsu attacked again, narrowly dodging one of the dragon's hind legs as he used his fire to jet up to the spot his roar just hit. He felt the attack connect hard, and Acnologia threw back his head with another roar at the contact. Yet, just like before, there was nothing but minor scratches to the dragon's protective hide.

Then Natsu was forced to jump back as the dragon's forelimb descended on him, followed quickly by a swipe underneath from the other forelimb. He used his feet to propel himself back faster as the massive head whipped toward him, and even with all the speed he could muster the jaws snapped shut just inches from his face. He got a close up look at the rows of razor-sharp teeth, each the size of his head, and the glowing blue eyes of the chaos dragon before him.

Refusing to stay down for long, he took off, running around the dragon. He dove and rolled left just as the massive tail came crashing down, then quickly jumped off the ground as the dragon's tail swept across the ruined city streets in an attempt to swat him away. He didn't have time to regain his footing as another claw came shooting down, and he narrowly avoided it by twisting just enough in midair. The wind from the swipe pushed his body out and back again, sending him plummeting into a pile of debris nearby.

The dragon slayer got up, shaking himself off. His opponent still hadn't landed a solid hit, but enough of these sideswipes would eventually wear him down. Besides, he knew he could only last so long in this mode. Somehow he had to find an opening and take it before his magic power ran out, all without letting the black dragon finish him off. With another roar he plunged forward, dodging the claw attack and rolling under the next claw. He then ran up the beasts extended leg as he tried to withdraw it, heading quickly for the area he already struck twice. But apparently Acnologia saw what he was doing, because the black dragon shook his leg violently, throwing Natsu from it and off into the rubble surrounding the two.

Natsu got up again, moving forward more carefully this time. He saw Acnologia's left forelimb rise a few feet, and quickly dodged the sweeping strike he knew followed that movement. Next he jumped out of the way of the tail that came crashing down again, turning sharply and throwing himself forward to then avoid the jaws that snapped at his escape route. Another clawed foot came down on top of him, forcing him to roll quickly out of the way while regaining his footing at the same time. He then dodged a back leg, but he could no longer reach the part of the dragon's hide that was already damaged.

Another narrow escape from a claw that actually brushed him, cutting a gash along his left side, sent him flying several hundred feet into a building that was still standing. Natsu got up, cauterizing the wound to make sure the blood loss wouldn't physically weaken him. Then he charged toward his foe again. The charge seemed to take the dragon by surprise. His movements were a little slower than previously, and Natsu was easily able to dodge his first clawed foot as it descended. The second one was even easier, and the predictable follow up with the tail he was able to jump over. In fact, the attack was just at the right height.

Natsu launched himself up, using the tail as a springboard to reach the damaged area of Acnologia's hide. Putting as much power as he could into the attack again, he yelled out "Fire Dragon King's Piercing Fang!"

His hand connected, and he quickly registered something wet and sticky covering it. He didn't have time to relish the strike though, as a large, clawed forelimb suddenly struck him from the side, completely removing his arm, tearing into his side, and sending him rocketing into a nearby building. Dazed for a moment, Natsu struggled to get up. He managed to cauterize the mangled skin on his left side using his right arm, which he then used to push himself slowly to his feet. He felt his fire dragon king form fading.

Then he realized Acnologia was no longer in front of him. He looked wildly around, but then a loud roar sounded from above. He looked toward the sound, and what he saw terrified him.

The dragon was preparing a breath attack that would soon be at least as large as the one that demolished Tenroujima island. Even though all the citizens were a long way from the battle scene, Natsu knew the attack could hurt people far away just from the power of the shock wave. And how the hell was he going to survive this? He had to survive! But this attack was enough to destroy all of Fairy Tail once. How could he, Natsu Dragneel, take on this by himself and come out alive?

But he couldn't die! He couldn't let that monster have his wife and his child. He had to come out of this fight alive no matter what! He had to—

The purple-white breath attack descended on the dragon slayer and everything went white. Pain coursed through every part of his body, tearing him apart.

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~End~

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Just Kidding! Here's the rest of the chapter

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 **~~~~~~Acnologia~~~~~~**

The black dragon just smirked as he watched the attack descend on the dragon slayer. He hovered, high above all the insects in the city below, hearing people's cries of shock and terror as their would-be savior perished in the midst of his breath attack. He was going to enjoy taking the little dragon slayer's mate and child. And then he would kill the insect's king for trying to betray him this way.

But then he looked at the ground again. Something was wrong. Was his breath attack getting smaller? The apocalypse dragon's eyes widened as the explosion caused by his breath attack slowly disappeared. What was happening? He couldn't believe what his eyes were telling him. The puny dragon slayer was _eating_ his attack? There was no way an insect could have the power to consume the breath of the dragon king!

But even as the events fully registered in his mind, the dragon king saw him. Natsu Dragneel, now in full dragon force, shooting up into the sky at him. He quickly struck out with his claw, but the dragon slayer was even faster than before. Before he could stop him he felt the dragon slayer latch on to the hole in his hide, just below his neck. He whipped his head around, trying to see what the annoying insect was up to. But suddenly pain exploded inside his body. But the pain quickly faded as the dragon smirked, knowing victory was still assured. He watched, the smirk still on his face, as his body fell.

Wait. As his body fell? The realization suddenly struck the dragon king that he was watching his body from the outside. But that would have to mean…

 _I can't be dead_. _There's no way that insect defeated me._ Those were the last thoughts of the dragon king as the gates of hell opened to receive his spirit into the afterlife…

 **~~~~~~On the ground~~~~~~**

The dragon's body descended from the sky, its enormous wings no longer beating the air. No glow remained in the eyes that struck terror into so many. No life in the dragon king that destroyed Tenroujima years before.

Falling below the monstrous creature was the pink-haired savior of Fiore. But he was also unmoving. Apparently he'd used the last of his strength fighting the monster, and now the savior of Fiore was powerless to save himself. Soon he would be crushed by the body of the dragon he'd just killed.

But before that could happen a blue blur sped under the falling creature, riding on the wings of the wind, and snatched the pink-haired dragon slayer from beneath the falling corpse. Natsu was then carried back toward the palace, where Wendy waited with the white exceed at her side.

And she was angry. If Natsu told her this was going to happen, she could've been there to help him. Instead of being awakened by the dragon's roar when it was already too late to join the battle, she could've supported her older brother figure. Maybe things wouldn't have become this desperate!

But she had to push that aside as Happy deposited the dragon slayer on the ground in front of her. At first she couldn't even tell if he was breathing, but a quick check assured her of a weak pulse. More alarming, though, was his body. The dragon force had faded, but now his skin looked like it was cracking everywhere, like a ceramic vase that was about to shatter. Bluish-purple light poured from the cracks. It looked as though his body could explode at any minute. In addition to that, his left arm was completely gone, and deep gashes covered the left side of his body. They had been cauterized so they weren't bleeding, but the damage was still there.

Wendy set to work healing him. She was able to repair the torn flesh in his side and his other various scratches. She mended the bones that had broken during the fight, beginning to grow tired from using so much magic. But she couldn't do anything about the glowing cracks that covered his body.

That condition frightened her. She knew that for the dragon slayer the battle still wasn't over. He was fighting for his life, and there was nothing she could do to help. She didn't even know what was happening. But she knew someone who might.

"Carla, Happy, we need to get him to Porlyusica!" No matter what level of knowledge the palace healers possessed, Wendy didn't trust them at the same level she trusted the old healer. She was the only one capable of saving him. At least, Wendy hoped she could...

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Alright - that's a wrap for this chapter. Read and Review please!


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. Mashima owns them.

Alright, here's chapter 13. The end is now in sight. Don't forget to vote for which story you'd like to see posted next on my profile poll. FYI I will eventually write all of those stories, and I've actually started most of them. The poll is just for the one that I start posting next.

Read and review as always**

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 _You have to hold on Natsu! Please!_ Wendy looked down at the older dragon slayer who lay on the floor of the _Windrider V_ , the fastest airship in all Fiore. When she first came in and awakened the sleeping crew, they were very reticent to wake from their slumber and start up the airship. But being the ward of the crown prince had its perks, and it hadn't taken long for her to convince them to fly.

But would it be enough? The same question seemed to be in the minds of Carla and Happy. Happy's quietness betrayed his worry. The normally rambunctious exceed barely spoke a word since their departure. Carla was a little harder to read, but her slight frown looked less surreptitious than usual. Also, her shoulders slumped ever so slightly, and her eyes never left the pink-haired man on the ship's deck.

And at this moment it was all Wendy could do to hold herself together. Her composure held on by an ever-thinning string, threatening to snap at once and allow her barely contained emotions to come pouring out. Half of her wished Carla and Happy had the magic stamina to carry them all the way to Porlyusica's cottage themselves, but she knew that was too much to ask of the exceeds.

It didn't help that Natsu's body was behaving strangely. In the last 10 minutes, the light had begun pulsing, like a bomb that was getting ready to explode. Her young imagination saw pieces of Natsu flying everywhere as a ball of blue energy exploded from within him. The images terrified her. Even though Natsu was still there right in front of her, she couldn't shake them from her mind.

Normally she would've brought Hisui, but the princess couldn't travel. She wasn't even really supposed to be out of bed yet. Wendy could only hope that she didn't try to follow them when she discovered Natsu was still in trouble.

Of course, it's not like the Garou knights would let her. Wendy felt some sense of comfort in their presence with the princess and the newborn baby. Despite being a little weird, even creepy at times, they were very loyal to the crown.

After what seemed an eternity the airship landed as near as they could get to Porlyusica's cottage. The old healer opened the door as Wendy pounded on it, looking at her with the most annoyed expression she'd ever given the bluenette.

"What on earthland are you waking me at this ungodly hour for, human?" She asked, sounding even more annoyed than she looked.

"It's Natsu!" Wendy said, still barely holding her tears back. "I don't know what's wrong with him."

Porlyusica remained silent for several moments, her expression unreadable before she finally tsked at the girl. "If it'll get you to leave me alone, I'll look at the boy."

Wendy quickly called for Happy and Carla to bring Natsu over. Porlyusica took one look at his cracked, glowing body and looked at Wendy. "How did this happen?"

"He was fighting Acnologia and he ate his breath attack," Wendy said. "Then he killed the dragon, but ever since then his body's been like this…"

"Take him back to the palace," Porlyusica said. "There's nothing I can do." She turned, starting to shut the door, but Wendy caught it before she could.

"WAIT!" She yelled at the healer. "At least tell me what's wrong with him!"

The healer looked at her, then spoke in an irritated voice again. "This one time I'll let this behavior slide, only out of the respect I have for Grandine. The problem is really very simple. The idiot consumed more power than his body could handle, and the reason his body looks all cracked and is glowing is because the only thing holding it together right now is his sheer willpower. He'll remain like that till one of three things happens."

"What things?" Wendy pleaded desperately.

"His will gives out and he explodes, his body adapts to the power level of the attack he consumes and absorbs the magic, or the excess magic power is drained from him. Of course, the last possibility is extremely difficult and could easily result in his death, or other permanent damage."

"B-but… What if he can't absorb it?"

Porlyusica shrugged. "If I were you I'd keep him away from people – or contained in a powerful magic containment field – till you know for sure." With that she pushed Wendy's hand out of the door and closed it all the way, leaving Wendy to return to the airship with the exceeds and Natsu.

 **~~~~~~At the palace~~~~~~**

With the battle over, Hisui could only wait in her room for news of her beloved dragon slayer. She'd seen the beast fall from the sky some time ago, but nobody, not even Wendy or Happy, had come in to give her any news of the outcome. She was beginning to worry for Natsu's well being. Did something happen to him during the fight?

She wanted to get out of bed and run to him. She needed to be sure he was still ok. But her body still ached when she moved. Her limbs felt weak, and on the few occasions she did get out of bed every step exhausted her. And besides, she had to take care of little Igneel. She couldn't leave him here alone, and she certainly couldn't risk trying to carry him in her current weakened state.

It seemed like an eternity, but in reality it was only a couple hours before Arcadios appeared in her room, bowing his head respectfully before her.

"They've brought the prince back, your highness," he said. "He's currently with Wendy, Happy, and Carla in the palace infirmary."

Hisui breathed a sigh of relief. "That's wonderful news, thanks Arcadios." She moved slowly to stand up. "Please assist me so I can see my husband."

Arcadios took a step back and shook his head. "I'm sorry your highness, but nobody can have contact with him right now. Even Wendy, Carla, Happy, and your father are kept at a distance."

At this point the princess realized her relief may have been premature. "Why can't I go near my husband?" She asked, a hint of trepidation and annoyance in her voice.

"The prince's body is… volatile," Arcadios said, not meeting her eyes. "He appears do have done something rather foolish during the battle, and as a result he could… Well, for lack of a better way to put this… explode."

"What?" Hisui, who had been sitting on the side of her bed, jumped to her feet. Then instantly collapsed back to the bed as her momentary adrenaline rush was overcome by her body's need for rest. She buried her head in her hands. "Natsu…"

"You should focus on what's important, your highness," Arcadios told her. "Despite his foolish actions, the prince managed to overthrow the dragon king. That means you and your child are still safe. We can always find you another husband, but we couldn't replace you or the heir to the kingdom."

Hisui's thin patience snapped at this point. Somewhere deep down, she knew the knight was trying, in his own way, to give her positive options to focus on. But to suggest that Natsu could just be replaced like an old garment?

"How dare you even suggest that?" She glared at the knight, wishing with all her heart that she didn't still feel so weak. "Get out of my sight."

She could see that her words hurt the knight, her long time friend. But she didn't care. "But your highness…" He started to protest.

"I said out. That's a command, not a request." She looked away from him, not caring to see his reaction.

"As you command, your highness," came the terse voice of Arcadios. She heard the door open and close as he left, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

As happy as she was to hear that Natsu was safe, discovering that his current condition could end badly for him, and for anyone who was too close to him, disconcerted her. She knew from talking to him that the dragon slayer had survived hundreds of situations that shouldn't have been possible for him. But this was different. She knew he was never in a situation like this before.

It was then that she remembered the levitation chair – the small device left for her in case she absolutely needed to get around without someone to help her. She wouldn't even have to worry about carrying Igneel since she would be sitting. She could keep him happy in her lap. And as far as she remembered the infirmary was on the same floor.

Sliding carefully out of bed she made her way to the levitation chair one slow step at a time. Once she sat down it activated automatically. Now, if she recalled correctly, all she needed to do was think about where she needed to go and the chair would follow her directions.

It took a few minutes to get the hang of it. At first she focused her mind on moving to the bed, wanting to pick up Igneel, but the chair didn't budge an inch. Eventually she figured out that she had to focus on going _toward_ the bed. A subtle difference, maybe, but apparently enough to make the difference of actually being able to move or not.

Once she mastered the chair and had Igneel on her lap, she made her way over to the door and opened it. Then she headed out into the hall and started toward the infirmary. A couple guards watched her as she passed, but she didn't see anyone else in the halls.

She had just reached the door to the infirmary when she paused, hearing voices inside. Once sounded like Darton, the defense minister, and the other sounded like Chiro, the new captain of the guard recently appointed by the minister of defense.

"Maybe things will work out yet," she heard Darton say quietly to the captain of the guard. "The buffoon was good for something after all, taking down Acnologia, but it looks like we may at least be spared suffering him as king."

"Can you imagine it? 'Look at me, I'm king flames for brains. All I know how to do is fight, and I'm not even that good at that. Bow before me, my flaming subjects.'" The captain snickered at his impression.

"That's probably about right," Darton said, though if he was amused it didn't show in his voice. "But more importantly, this could be a chance for you to be married to the princess."

"I know that grandfather," Chiro said quietly. "In fact, I've got a better chance than anyone else at that position. I think the princess is already attracted to me."

Hisui fumed inwardly, feeling her blood begin to boil in anger. Sure, she was as polite to the captain as to any other knight, but she certainly didn't find him any more attractive than the next guy. And now he had absolutely 0 chance with her. Even if Natsu didn't make it, which she hoped with all her being that he did, Chiro had just become the last 'eligible' young man she would consider marrying.

But all that didn't matter, because Natsu was going to make it. She knew he would. He had to. Igneel needed to grow up knowing his father, the man who had now twice saved Fiore. No, three times. He was the one responsible for defeating Zeref, after all.

And if he could do that, surely he could survive this… thing… that was happening to him now.

Not feeling as reassured as she would've liked, the princess continued into the infirmary. Even before she came into their view, she heard the defense minister and the man now identified as his grandson change their topic of conversation quickly, 'mourning' the young prince's condition. She noticed Wendy glaring at the pair from the far side of the room and shook her head, remembering the dragon slayer's enhanced senses. The girl had most likely heard every word of their conversation, and who knows what else they said when they thought nobody was listening.

Other nobles were scattered around, and a team of the most powerful wizards they had at their disposal. This team seemed to be working on a barrier that stood around Natsu. A barrier that she could only guess was meant to contain the potential explosion Arcadios spoke of previously.

But nothing could prepare her for what she saw when she actually looked at Natsu. He lay there, absolutely still on the bed they'd prepared for him. But his bare torso, neck, and face were covered with glowing, bluish purple cracks. The light seemed to pulse and throb, dimming and getting brighter again, and all she could do was watch. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. After the final battle she was supposed to have Natsu again. To have him to herself, with no more secrets or barriers between them.

A soft cry diverted her attention to her lap, and she realized Igneel was awake. She rocked the infant gently in her lap as Wendy started to approach, apparently just noticing her presence. Wendy's face was concerned as she approached, with Happy and Carla close behind.

"You shouldn't really be out of bed, your highness," the girl said quietly. "Natsu-nii wouldn't be happy if he knew we allowed you to strain yourself so soon after the birth."

"As you can see I'm not straining myself," Hisui replied, meeting the girl's eyes squarely. "I just needed to see Natsu for myself."

Wendy sighed and nodded, turning back toward the pink-haired dragon slayer. "He'll make it," she said quietly, though Hisui wasn't sure who she was trying to reassure.

"I'm sure he will," she said with a confidence she didn't fully feel.

Wendy turned back to her. "But you still need to get back to bed Hisui. Even if you're not walking around, your body still needs rest. You should spend more time lying down and sleeping."

Hisui couldn't help being amused as she was lectured by the girl who was still only 14. "Alright, alright." She said. "I'll behave, on one condition."

"What's that?" Wendy looked at her, a little suspiciously.

Hisui turned serious. "I need you to keep an eye on the defense minister and the guy he's talking to right now. I overheard some of their conversation before I decided to come in, and I must admit it didn't sound like they were too loyal to the prince." She paused for a moment before adding, "and I would appreciate it if you would also remain in this room overnight to watch him."

Wendy nodded, looking past Hisui toward the duo that were behind her. Hisui watched her eyes darken and guessed that much of their conversation had been similar to the snippet she heard coming in. "That's one condition I can certainly live with, your highness."

Hisui nodded. "Then I can rest easier when I go back…" She stretched out her arms, indicating she wanted Wendy to hug her. The girl quickly obliged, her face softening as she then leaned down to give little Igneel a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Then Hisui slowly brought the chair back out and down the hall to her room.

 **~~~~~~A little later~~~~~~**

Wendy sighed, nestled into her perch some distance from Darton and his grandson, Chiro. So far their conversation didn't give her anything actionable. Sure, it was pretty clear they didn't like Natsu much. They thought of him as a dense idiot who would be the worst king in the history of Fiore. But so far they didn't seem to actually be plotting anything.

But as the evening wore on, and everyone except the duo and Wendy were gone, the two headed for the exit. Once the door was closed, Wendy heard the low, almost whispered tones outside belonging to Darton.

"Take this powder after everyone's asleep and make sure the prince inhales it."

"But why? Isn't he going to die anyway? And what does the powder do?"

"Every day that goes by gives him a better chance of survival. If we want you to marry the princess and become the next king, we need to help the process along a little. This powder is like an adrenaline shot for magic. Once he inhales it, any magic contained in his body will be amplified as much as 3 times, depending on how much of the powder he inhales. Needless to say, this would push his body past the breaking point and take care of the whole mess for us."

"But what about the barrier?" Chiro's voice returned quietly.

"The barrier is made to hold in an explosion, not prevent a few dust particles from going in," Darton answered. "And make absolutely sure there are no witnesses."

"Of course," Chiro sounded irritated. "I'm not an idiot."

With that the two appeared to part ways, two separate sets of footsteps fading in opposite directions down the hall. Wendy waited till she was absolutely sure they were gone before nudging Happy and Carla, who were starting to drift off on the floor. With a few whispers she told them what she overheard, and together they came up with a plan.

 **~~~~~~Late that night~~~~~~**

"Do you think he chickened out?" Carla whispered, causing Wendy to jolt up as she was starting to nod off a little again.

The girl and the two exceeds were huddled under Natsu's bed, well hidden by the bedskirts but able to see when someone was approaching. It was well past midnight at this point, and Chiro still hadn't made his appearance.

"He's probably just trying to make absolutely sure nobody sees him," she whispered back, slapping her cheeks lightly in an attempt to help her keep awake. She was beginning to wish she hadn't insisted on being their for the birth 2 nights ago and staying up with Natsu to watch over him the previous night. Now she struggled to keep her eyes open, and only Carla's frequent nudging, which she was beginning to think was done on purpose, kept her from nodding off each time.

Finally the door latch clicked, and the soft sound of the door opening reached her ears. Silent, stealthy footsteps crept across the room, and Wendy put her plan into action. "Sky Dragon's Wind Barrier," she whispered, creating an invisible, but impenetrable barrier of wind just inside the shield that surrounded Natsu. Soon afterward the footsteps came to a stop at the edge of the shield.

"Well, nothing personal my 'prince,'" she heard him say, putting a heavy sarcastic emphasis on the word prince. "But you're in the way of my kingdom. And my woman."

She cautiously peeked out enough to watch his actions at this point, knowing that she needed to see what was happening if she was to be a witness later. He was so engrossed in the action to notice, so she watched as he sprinkled the dust slowly over Natsu's face, a small smirk visible even in the dark room. Then he let out a surprised hiss as the particles were caught by the wind barrier. The wind, at Wendy's command, transported the powder to a small container she held in her hand, which she then sealed.

"Carla, go get the king," she instructed as she prepared to fight the captain of the guard.

Fortunately, without his rune knight equipment to help mitigate magic, Chiro wasn't much of a challenge, and Wendy had him subdued in seconds. Now all she had to do was wait till the king came in, closely trailed by the guard that usually slept outside his chambers.

"Why am I being summoned at this hour, Wendy?" Toma asked before seeing Chiro, handcuffed and sitting near the bed. "And why is the new captain of the guard in handcuffs."

"Your majesty," Wendy said, bowing deeply before him. "I'm afraid that I must accuse captain Chiro of treason and conspiracy against the crown."

"What?" Toma's eyes shot wide open. "What do you mean?! What's going on, Chiro?"

"I don't know what the girl's talking about, your majesty," the young man replied sullenly.

"Your Majesty," Wendy said, handing him the vial. "I caught this man attempting to drop this over the prince's face. If you analyze it I believe you will find it to be a magic enhancer, which given Prince Natsu's current condition would most certainly have been deadly."

Toma looked at Chiro. "What do you have to say about this, Chiro?"

"I have nothing to say, Your Majesty. I have no idea what's in that vial."

"Are you saying that the girl is lying?"

"I won't accuse her of anything, your majesty, but I did come in to find her and her little cat friend alone in this room with his highness. And let's not forget that, as his guardian, she would receive a substantial portion of the treasury as well as a castle and a title when she came of age."

Wendy ground her teeth. "That doesn't explain why you were trying to force-feed this to the prince," she said.

"It's your word against mine, little girl," he sneered. "And you still haven't explained what you were doing here."

Wendy sighed. "If you must know, the princess asked me to keep an eye out here in case somebody tried to use this opportunity to get Natsu out of the way. If you need to confirm this, just ask Hisui-nee."

"That won't be necessary," Wendy looked up to see the defense minister standing there. He didn't look at Chiro at all as he spoke. "The princess should remain in bed and get as much rest as she can, isn't that right Wendy?"

"Of course it is," Wendy said. "But I hardly think asking her—"

"You hardly think waking her up and telling her Natsu's life is in danger will put undue stress on her?" Darton cut her off. "Perhaps even cause her to attempt to come herself, risking weakness or even death if she pushes herself too hard?"

"No, I just think—"

"Or maybe that's exactly what Wendy Marvell Dragneel wants," Darton cut her off again. "Perhaps this is just the elaborate scheme of a young woman with a brother complex. Or would it be a father complex now that he's your official guardian?" He asked, his voice never rising a decibel.

Wendy flushed dark red at the implications of what the defense minister was saying. "Are you suggesting I'm trying to take Natsu for myself?"

"I'm not suggesting anything," the defense minister said, keeping his tone even. "If we want motive, you have plenty of it. Not only are there plenty who would be willing to speak of your… adoration… of this dragon slayer, making the princess an ideal target for you, but you also stand to gain everything if he dies, making him also an ideal target for you. Either way, you're the most likely culprit here."

"I'm telling you just ask the princess. She'll confirm what I said." Wendy protested. "Carla and Happy both heard her as well."

"Aye sir!" Happy said. Carla just nodded.

"Your majesty, this really isn't the time to sort this out," Darton said, turning to the king. "Now I suggest we put them both back in their rooms for the night. Post guards outside the door so neither of them can get back out, and the whole problem is solved."

"I suppose that could work," the king said, stroking his chin.

Wendy's eyes widened in fear. Darton was in on the whole plan too. And with her out of the way, there would be nobody to stop him from finishing it. "Then we should post a guard in here too!" She said. "Perhaps even the Garou knights!"

"An excellent idea," Darton replied. "The Garou knights won't be necessary, but I will hand pick an elite guard to keep the prince safe till the morning."

"That won't be necessary," Hisui's voice came from the door.

"Hisui!" Wendy exclaimed, running up to the princess worriedly. "You should still be in bed!"

"I'm fine, Wendy," the princess smiled at her from the levitation chair. Then her expression became darker as she turned her attention toward Darton and Chiro. "But I can confirm that I requested that Wendy stay in here to guard my husband for the night. She was the only one I was sure I could trust, you see…"

She then turned to her father. "Father, when I came down here earlier today, I stopped outside the door for a few minutes before coming in. While I was there, I overheard a small portion of a conversation between defense minister Darton and his grandson."

"His grandson?" Toma asked, surprised.

"Yes father," Hisui said. "You see, it appears that defense minister Darton, and his grandson, were leveraging for the throne. Before my engagement to Natsu was announced, the defense minister had arranged for his grandson to be brought to Fiore as a high ranking officer in the guard. The aim was to eventually get you to agree to a marriage arrangement between them, but when my engagement to Natsu was announced it destroyed their plans…"

"How?..." Wendy started. Hisui just put her hand up, indicating she would explain how she came by this information later.

"But of course," Hisui said, "when Natsu battled Acnologia and came back in such a volatile state, they saw their opportunity to take the throne again. All he needed was a little push to ensure that he didn't recover from his battle, and that push was to be delivered tonight."

"Unfortunately for them," Hisui continued, "I overheard them talking about the prince before I came in. I felt something was wrong, so I asked Wendy to keep an eye – and an ear – on them, as well as guard Natsu for the night just in case anything happened. Additionally, I went and talked to a few people in the castle who make it their business to know things that aren't supposed to be common knowledge. They're a little expensive, of course," she said a little ruefully, "but in this case certainly worth it."

During her speech, Chiro had turned as white as a sheet. Darton remained silent, not reacting as obviously to Hisui's information.

Toma looked at the pair, glowering. "Take him away," he said, pointing to Chiro. He then turned to Darton. "I know well enough that I have nothing on you at this time, but from now on I'll be monitoring your every move so long as you stay in Fiore. In the meantime, consider yourself fired."

"Thanks Hisui," Wendy said quietly. "I have no idea what would've happened if you didn't come…"

Hisui smiled at her. "It's a good thing I had the night guard come inform me if anything happened in here tonight," she said. "Otherwise I may never have known until it was too late for Natsu…"

"He's not back with us yet," Wendy said quietly, looking at the dragon slayer who lay on the bed inside the barrier.

"No," Hisui said, "but we've made sure he still gets another day to fight…" Then she grunted slightly, holding her stomach in pain.

"Hisui!" Wendy quickly ran her hands over the princess, healing any strains that she found. "We need to get you back to bed!"

Hisui just nodded as they headed out, going back to the princess's bedchambers. The princess had the Garou knights watch Natsu after that, figuring they could be trusted since Darton reacted negatively to the suggestion of posting them as a guard.

After dropping the princess off, Wendy was finally able to return to her room. She had mixed feelings as she drifted off to sleep. It had been a few very long days, and Natsu was still not out of the woods.

* * *

And that's chapter 13. I think the next chapter will be the last one. Till next time, and don't forget to drop a review!


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own Fairy Tail, or the characters. Those are all Mashima's.

So... the promised last chapter of Fiery Jade. Please review! I'll be working on finishing "The Size of His Heart" next. Have the next chapter of that almost done.

Since these stories are both close to being finished, please remember to vote on which story you'd like to see next!

* * *

 _'Natsu… Come back to us Natsu…. We need you…'_

He opened his eyes slowly, then immediately shut them against the bright light that stabbed into him. He slowly forced them open just a crack, allowing them to adjust to the pain before opening them further. But nothing seemed to change. Why was it that nothing but blinding whiteness greeted his eyes? Even opened all the way, it was like looking into the heart of the light.

"What's going on? Where am I? Why does it feel like every atom in my body is screaming in pain right now?"

Nobody answered. Ok, seriously? This was bullshit. At least somebody could have the decency to talk to him when he asked a question. He was clearly awake, and he wasn't in the castle. At least, not anywhere he'd ever been before in the castle.

Wait. Was he dead? Is this what the afterlife looked like? Just endless white light? And if so, what was with all the pain? Sure, he was a little dense in life, but he was pretty sure he hadn't been _that_ bad…

"This is your subconscious."

Finally, Igneel decided to have pity on him and answer—

Wait. "IGNEEL?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD YOU BASTARD!"

"No need to yell, Natsu, and I'm technically not here." Igneel seemed to think about that for a minute. "Let me rephrase that. I'm technically here, but I'm technically not Igneel."

"Huh?" Ok, now he was confused.

"Look – this is your subconscious. I'm a reflection of Igneel. A memory, if you will."

"You mean I'm talking to my memories?"

"NO! Eh…. Well, I guess in a manner of speaking."

"If I'm not talking to my memories, who am I talking to?"

"I'm you, smart guy. Your mind is just putting me in this form to make talking to yourself seem more reasonable."

"Wait… you're me?"

"Wow – someone catches on fast."

"If you're me, that means you just insulted yourself…"

"No, I insulted you!" There was a pregnant pause. "Oh…"

"Yeah, now who's quick to catch on?"

"Look, we don't have time for this. You need to wake up."

"I'm trying! You should know that if you're me!"

"Yeah, well you need to try harder. I've had just about enough of listening to you."

"You wanna' fight flame brain?"

"Any time you think you can take me match head."

"Bring it on dipshit."

"After you numb-nuts!"

"Fire Dragon's…"

"Fire Dragon's…"

"ROAR!"

"ROAR!"

"YEAH! I'm finally equal to Igneel in strength!"

"That might be true if I were actually Igneel…"

"Yeah. Been nice knowing ya, but I think I'll wake up now."

"What, just like that?!"

"Yep." Natsu opened his eyes. Not his dream eyes this time. I mean, how many times can you really open your dream eyes? This time there was no bright, stabbing light. Only darkness. Darkness that slowly came into focus as a drab room, illuminated only by starlight. He was in a bed, with some kind of glowing barrier around him. And his body ached all over.

Physically he felt very weak. But in terms of magic power… Wow, what a difference! It was like he could punch out a hundred Fire Dragon King's Roars and not even be tired.

 _Wow. It's like I'm bursting with magic power… If only I could use it to heal my body…_

With a groan he sat up, the motion sending jolts of pain from his core to all parts of his body.

"Natsu?" The voice ached with uncertainty and dripped with hope. Even as Natsu turned his head toward the sound, she was on him. He fell back to the bed, suppressing a cry of pain as he landed. "Natsu! You're really awake!"

"Not for much longer at this rate…" Natsu groaned playfully, returning the embrace he found himself wrapped in. Hot tears soaked through his vest on his shoulder, and green hair brushed against his face.

"I was afraid you were never going to wake up…" Hisui sobbed into his shoulder, her arms circled tight against his waist. Her fingers dug into his back, her arms pressing tight enough to squeeze his chest and make breathing more difficult.

"Aw, come on. I wasn't out for that long, was I?" Natsu was pretty sure it hadn't been more than a couple days.

"It's been 3 months baka…" The princess whispered into his chest, adjusting her body to a more comfortable position on top of him.

"3 months?" No wonder his body was so sore and achy. All his well toned muscles were just laying there in disuse for 3 whole months. But how was that even possible? He'd only been in that white subconscious thingy for a few moments!

And what about Igneel?! The thought suddenly occurred to him. Was he walking yet? When did babies start walking anyway? What if he was already learning magic and Natsu missed it? Or reading? What age did that start anyway? What if his kid was already a better reader than he was?!

"So, uh… Does that mean Igneel's reading now?"

Uh oh. There was not immediate response. Natsu looked down at Hisui, wondering what she was thinking. Her body was shaking softly against him, her hold on his waist loosening a bit. Did he say something wrong? Oh no! Please don't let Igneel be—

But wait. The sounds coming from her weren't choked sobs, but barely restrained laughter. Soon it was unrestrained as his wife clutched him, her face still buried in his chest as she giggled uncontrollably. "You wake up after 3 months and _that's_ what you're concerned about?" She gasped out.

Natsu felt a familiar rumble in his abdomen. "Well, that and I could eat, like, a mountain of horses."

There was a long pause as Hisui fought to gain control of her laughter, during which Natsu realized the other thing that was on his mind. "Oh yeah, and what's with the magic barrier anyway?"

"Oh, that was in case you… Well, you know… exploded…"

"Exploded?" Natsu blinked, more than a little surprised to hear this.

"Yeah. Porlyusica said if you couldn't absorb the magic you ate your body would explode. So dad had them put a barrier around you that would keep the explosion contained if that happened."

"How can you come through it then?" That didn't make sense to Natsu. If the barrier was strong enough to block an explosion, why didn't it block everything else coming through as well?

"They were able to create a barrier that would allow living people through, but not anything violent, like an explosion or a direct attack."

"Cool," Natsu grinned as his stomach roared in aggravation. "But I think I need to eat something now."

"I'll get you something," Hisui said quietly. "Just, don't disappear or explode while I'm gone."

"I'll still be here," Natsu promised. He then suppressed a grimace as she gave him one last squeeze before pulling back and departing, leaving him alone with his thoughts again.

It was about 10 minutes later when Hisui returned with a large platter of assorted meats. And this time she wasn't alone. Behind her was a familiar young girl with blue hair accompanied by blue and white exceeds, who all dashed for the bed as soon as they saw Natsu, who was sitting up again.

"Natsu!" They exclaimed, tackling him back to the bed. Natsu groaned as the three, even Carla, embraced him for several long moments.

"Hey Wendy. Hi Happy, and Carla," Natsu grunted. The savory aroma of meat drifted from the plate Hisui held, tantalizing him with the promise of deliciousness. His stomach roared indignantly at having its favorite pastime withheld a little longer.

Carla recoiled from the sound, a severe look on her face, but Wendy and Happy didn't even seem to notice. Hisui just giggled as she continued to hold the plate. "Oh my," she said. "Perhaps somebody would like to sit up so he can eat?"

Blushing slightly, Wendy let go of her grip on the older dragon slayer, allowing him to sit up again. His third time raising his body to a sitting position was easier. Either the pain was getting less or his body was used to it to the point where he was barely noticing it anymore.

For the next few moments he forgot everyone and everything around him as he immersed himself in the heavenly food placed before him.

 **~~~~~~Outside of Crocus~~~~~~**

"Hey you, hurry up with that feed!"

Darton groaned. His second day on the job was even worse than the first. How had it come to this anyway?

Stupid question. It all started when his idiot grandson allowed himself to be caught by Wendy without even finishing the job. Then word got out to the people of Crocus that he'd been fired because he was plotting to kill the prince, who the people apparently loved. How was that even possible anyway? Who could possibly respect a simple-minded buffoon who couldn't do anything well except fight?! His grandson should've been the one to marry the princess! If the king wasn't going to give her to one of the foreign princes to gain new allies, he should've at least given her to someone deserving of the crown!

At first Darton reveled in his genius. Since the king, and even Hisui and Wendy, couldn't prove he'd been part of the plot, they couldn't imprison him. Of course the king fired him, but he should've been able to live well off his savings.

But that didn't last. Oh, no. Because the people weren't content to just let him live the life he was supposed to live. They had to do everything they could to make his life miserable.

 **~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~**

Darton stepped out from the palace seething. This wasn't how it was supposed to be! That fool of a grandson failed him again, and this time the cost was too great. Instead of a secure position as the trusted advisor, Darton now faced something he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Putting a name to it was hard, though. There wasn't really a good name for the state of being without title and authority. Of course, it's not like anyone else knew that yet. Maybe he could use his reputation for at least a few days before the word got out.

"Hey! It's the EX Minister of Defense!" The voice of a 10 year old dashed that hope mercilessly to pieces before it even had the opportunity to fully manifest.

"Now, now Jeletto, it's not nice to tease the _traitor_ ," a woman's voice, most likely belonging to the boy's mother, chided. Darton was somewhat shocked at the treatment. Just how had they gotten the word out so fast anyway?!

"Yeah, you should beat his ass instead." This sounded like a teenager. Some tough guy no doubt, but at his age Darton was in no condition to challenge anyone. It took every ounce of his will to ignore the growing crowd and their mocking, turning instead toward the road that led to the northeast of the palace, toward his large home.

But as his gaze fell upon the beautiful mansions that defined his neighborhood, his mouth dropped open. It looked like a natural disaster hit the place! The once stately mansions were reduced to piles of rubble, bits of walls standing here and there amidst the ruin. Some were burned or destroyed entirely, with no sign of anything but a crater where they used to be. And as he drew closer to where his mansion once was, he saw an enormous crater, almost the size of the entire neighborhood.

Darton fell to his knees, tears coming to his eyes at the sight. It was all gone. His 5 story, 16 bedroom manor. His exquisite rare flower garden and courtyard. His stables with the fastest steeds in the kingdom. Even his private stash of jewels that were hidden in the safe. Every one of them was gone. All he had left were a couple hundred thousand jewels he carried with him for an emergency!

The former defense minister cursed his luck. If only he'd been outside the castle since the fight, he could've demanded that the king reimburse him for the damage. He could still try, but he knew well enough where that would lead now. He ground his teeth as he cursed Natsu, the 'prince' of the realm. He could only hope the dragon slayer succumbed to the magic's destructive power and died a very painful death. Maybe he could take the damn princess and the blue-haired slut with him. He was still pretty sure there was more than a "brother-sister" relationship going on there.

He soon found that in the area around Crocus, his emergency reserve of jewels would only buy a cheap hovel or a couple months of rent. And everywhere that he tried to get work turned him away. Despite his years of experience in leadership, management, planning, and negotiating, everyone gave him a response that could be summed up in a single sentence:

"Sorry, but we don't hire traitors here."

 **~~~~~~END FLASHBACK~~~~~~**

Now, three months later, ragged and dirty from having lived on the street for the last month after his rent money ran out, Darton tried to work the only job he was finally able to find, as an extra hand on a farm a few miles outside the city. It was a job someone his age shouldn't even think of taking. His body wasn't built for this kind of rigorous work anymore. But he was desperate. It offered a roof over his head. A bed, even if it wasn't entirely a clean one, regular meals, and some jewels. Given enough time he could save up, maybe get a ticket out of Fiore and find somebody who would appreciate his skills instead of calling him a traitor for trying to do the country a service.

"You there! I said hurry up old fart!"

Darton gritted his teeth as he did his best to move faster with his load. His back ached as he carried the burden, his shoulders and legs throbbed from the excess of exercise. He cursed Natsu again under his breath. Exploding was too good for the dragon slayer. He hoped the 'prince' died a slow and painful death.

 **~~~~~~Back in the castle~~~~~~~**

Natsu rubbed his eyes as the sunlight poured in the infirmary windows. After a meal and a good night's rest, most of the aches were gone from his body. He could still feel the increase in magic power, and he really, _really_ wanted to test it out. He was itching to fight Gray, or better yet Erza, or Laxus, or maybe even Gildarts. Hell, maybe now he could take all of them at the same time!

Just then his eyes fell on Hisui, who was sitting in a chair near the bed. In her arms was a young baby, still just an infant, with the shortest little light green hair ever. The baby's onyx eyes sparkled like the smile his little lips were pulled into, and as he saw Natsu sit up he reached for him, making little cooing noises.

All thoughts of fighting fled from Natsu's mind as Hisui brought Igneel closer, laying him on his father's lap. The dragon slayer gently traced a finger through the light green hair, which wasn't rough and scratchy like stubble but rather soft and gentle, almost soothing to the touch. The little button nose crinkled up as the baby reached for his finger, grabbing it and immediately pulling it to his mouth.

It felt a little weird, the strong lips and gums wrapping around the finger with no teeth. And damn, Igneel had a powerful bite for a baby. If he did have teeth, Natsu was pretty sure his finger would be gone by now. But after a couple moments of sucking, Igneel pulled the finger out of his mouth, looking disappointed. He then reached for Hisui, who took him back. He fussed at her, rubbing his face against her breast.

"Looks like someone wants his lunch," Hisui said with a giggle as she offered the breast to him. Soon he was sucking down milk like a champ.

"You should probably eat your lunch too," Hisui said. "You've got a big day ahead."

"What?!" Natsu groaned, laying back down. "I don't want to do anything except sleep today…"

"Sorry, but you're a prince," Hisui said. "And a lot of people want to see you. As soon as they found out you were awake, my father and your little sister put together a party for today. Almost all the legal guilds in Fiore will be there, and as many citizens as can be packed into the palace at one time."

"They could've at least given me a couple days to recover," Natsu groaned again.

"They did," Hisui said with a quiet giggle. "But you slept off your recovery time."

"Huh?" Natsu stared, his mind not 100% comprehending what she was saying.

"You slept for 2 and a half days since your awakening," Hisui said. "We were starting to think we'd have to postpone the party."

"2 and a half days?!" Natsu sat up again. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?!"

"Nobody would let us, for one. The palace healers said your body still needed more rest to help you recover faster. And it seems to have worked," she added with a twinkle in her eye. "We'll find out just how recovered you are tonight."

Natsu blushed as Igneel suddenly decided he was done nursing for now, releasing Hisui's breast and turning back toward him. As soon as Hisui was covered up again, she left Igneel in Natsu's arms and headed out to get him some food. Natsu spent the next half hour getting reacquainted with his son before going and getting his attire for the party.

 **~~~~~~Later that evening~~~~~~**

"Gray, if you take your clothes of in the palace I will personally castrate you," Erza was saying to the ice mage. She'd just caught his hands as they started to cast off the white suit coat he was wearing.

"Hehe – I wouldn't do something as stupid as that," Gray said a little too quickly, his hands jetting away from his coat.

Before she could formulate a response, Erza noticed that the boisterous conversations that filled the room had all suddenly come to an abrupt stop. She also noticed that Yukino, Lucy, and Mira were all staring toward the room's north entrance with a faint blush on their cheeks. She quickly turned to see what had captured everyone's attention.

She felt her jaw drop slightly as the heat rose to her own face. Descending the stairs at the north entrance was a man who was so familiar, but whom she'd never seen in this light before. His perfectly fitted crimson suit rested well over his broad shoulders, the black shirt accenting it well, unbuttoned just far enough to hint at a strong, muscular chest. His crimson pants hung perfectly above a pair of black shoes, but what drew her attention the most was his face.

No longer was Natsu's face a picture of childish exuberance. He still wore a wide smile, but it was set on a face that spoke of experience in battle and life. The baby fat was gone from the corners of his smile. His jaw line was slightly more accentuated. His figure stood more erect, his shoulders held high and his eyes always looking forward with confidence.

In summary, everything about Natsu Dragneel screamed sexy.

"Presenting the heir to the throne, the three-time savior of Fiore, and conquerer of Acnologia, his royal highness, prince Natsu!" One of the palace guards announced his entrance, bowing before him as he came to the bottom of the stairs. As Erza saw people lowering themselves around him, she quickly wiped the trickle of blood from her nose and bowed as well.

"Everyone rise, please." Natsu said, his tones deeper and richer than the last time she'd spoken to him. It was hard to imagine this man before her as the boy she used to frequently punish for his shenanigans with Gray.

"Juvia, would you stop drooling?" Gray sounded a little annoyed.

"Juvia is sorry Gray-sama!" The water mage exclaimed with a yelp. "Juvia's eyes are only meant to be for Gray-sama! Gray-sama must punish Juvia-sama for her unfaithfulness!" She quickly bent down, wiggling her butt at him.

"I'M NOT INTO THAT!" He yelled, backing away from her.

Erza made her way toward Natsu, who was already surrounded, this time by the first generation dragon slayers.

"Natsu," Sting said, inclining his head to the pink-haired mage. The other dragon slayers, except Wendy, followed suit.

"You guys don't have to do that, really," Natsu protested.

"If you didn't want this, you shouldn't have taken down Acnologia," Gajeel smirked at the prince. "You knew it was coming."

"Why is that?" Erza asked, curious as to why they were now deferring to the pink-haired dragon slayer, if there was a reason beyond him being prince.

"It's a dragon slayer thing," Gajeel explained, not really looking at her. "Natsu was already the alpha, but by killing the most powerful dragon and absorbing his power he's elevated his position. Although he's not a king, like he would be if he were a dragon, he's basically the unchallenged alpha slayer now, and it's in our natures to defer to him as a result."

"Then why isn't Wendy acting that way?"

"Ge he. Wendy here is his adopted little sister, which essentially means she gets special privileges." Gajeel chuckled, causing Wendy to blush.

"I see." With that Erza moved forward and pulled Natsu into a hug. "I'm so glad you survived, Natsu. We were really worried about you…"

"I've survived worse," Natsu replied with a grin.

"She was really worried about you though," Gajeel confirmed her words, making her blush slightly. "She wouldn't even take a simple request till we received news of your imminent recovery."

"Haha! That's Erza for you!" Natsu said, his grin widening. "But I need to get some of that food before I starve. You'd think they would treat a guy better after he's been asleep for over 3 months."

"Oh, of course!" Erza quickly let go of Natsu, pulling back as he made his way toward the table. She then watched as Lucy stepped up to the dragon slayer, also giving him a big hug.

"Thank goodness you're alive, Natsu!" She said loudly enough for Erza to hear. "We were really worried when we heard you fought Acnologia."

"Of course I'm alright Luce. It would take more than an overgrown lizard to bring me down," Natsu replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to get to the meat table…"

"Oh, of course," Lucy let go of him and stepped out of his way as Erza watched. Natsu proceeded a few more steps before he was wrapped up by a white-haired demon.

She heard Mirajane speaking but couldn't make out the words. Natsu offered her a reply, and moments later she let go of him, stepping back with a faint blush on her cheeks as Natsu continued on his way toward the table.

A couple steps later he was met by Gildarts, who pulled him into a hug that was, at least from the dragon slayer's body language, quite uncomfortable. Not surprising, considering the crash mage's considerable strength. They exchanged a few words. Gildarts let go. Natsu continued toward the meat table.

No sooner had Gildarts let go than Makarov came up to Natsu to give the pink-haired dragon slayer a firm hug. Natsu disengaged himself from that conversation and took a couple more steps toward the table before being hugged by Yukino. This continued for quite some time till the dragon slayer prince finally got to his destination. He was just reaching out to get some meat when…

"Natsu, please come forward!" King Toma Fiore stood at the head of the ballroom, a medal and a scroll in his hands. Natsu sighed, pulling his empty hand back away from the table, and headed up toward where the king was standing. Along the way Hisui joined him, coming forward at his left side.

"Natsu Dragneel, prince of Fiore, for saving this country 3 times and ridding us of the threat of Acnologia, I hereby bestow upon you the further title of knight protector of the realm, and present you with this medal and this certificate."

Natsu bowed, allowing the medal to be put around his neck. When he rose, he turned back toward the audience, who all bowed to the prince and now knight protector. Erza smiled as she watched him, knowing how rare it was for this title to be given to anyone. It was said by many that it was more meaningful even than the title of king or queen.

After the ceremony ended, Natsu started making his way back toward the meat table again. But it seemed the stream of people wanting to have a quick word with the prince was never ending. He struggled through one conversation after another, till Erza finally decided it was time for someone to intervene.

"Alright everyone," she said, coming forward with her sternest expression. "The prince is trying to get something to eat! He's famished from his 3 month coma, and you're all keeping him from enjoying this delicious banquet we've already been eating. So everyone out of the way! Now!"

Everyone around shrank back from her stern outburst, and she dutifully led the way to the table. She congratulated herself on a job well done when he reached his goal without any further interference, and soon he'd collected a plate of food and was sitting at one of the many tables to enjoy it.

The rest of the night went too quickly for Erza, as she suspected it did for the rest of Fairy Tail. But all too soon they were on their way out of the palace, back to the hotel where they would be staying one more night before the trip back to Magnolia.

 **~~~~~~Much later that night~~~~~~**

"Mmmm…" Hisui snuggled against Natsu, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers. They'd spent almost an hour testing the extent of his recovery, as she'd promised, and now both were ready to go to sleep.

"Hisui…" She caught the serious tone to his voice and turned to look at him. "Everything was really busy before, and I don't feel I ever said this properly. But I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not trusting you enough to treat you as my equal in our marriage. I'm sorry for being more loyal to your father with my word than to you. You're an amazing woman, Hisui, and you're every bit as strong as I am in your own way, and definitely a lot smarter. I know our marriage won't ever be perfect, but from now on I swear there will be no more secrets. Everything we do, we do together. Because I love you, Hisui."

She buried her head in his muscular chest as tears formed in her eyes, a small smile on her lips. "I love you too, Natsu Dragneel. And whatever the future holds we'll always be ready for it – together."

After that no words were spoken. None were needed. The quiet, steady breathing of two souls. The rhythmic beating of two hearts in perfect harmony. The night was a perfect epilogue to their journey toward each other. When the sun rose, it would dawn on their first steps into their true marriage journey.

And whatever happened they would always push toward the future... together.

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So there it is. Hopefully the ending isn't too abrupt. I didn't feel like it was. Read and review please! And don't forget to vote on which story you want to read next :)


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